The journey back to the mansion with Lee Ji-Yeon and the spirits was quiet.
As I casually turned my observation, I felt Hong Yeonhwa’s presence near the mansion’s entrance.
“…!”
[Happiness]
“My lord, huh?”
“Junior?”
My body jerked. The fairies clinging to my wings and Lee Ji-Yeon, walking beside , tilted their heads, and by the ti I noticed, my legs had already kicked off the ground.
Pat-pat!
I hurriedly ran. I didn’t put enough force into it to slam the ground, but my impatience and anticipation were evident.
I opened my eyes to the wind brushing against my face. Far in the distance, I saw a flash of red. As I focused, Hong Yeonhwa’s figure beca clearer.
“…Huh?”
Hong Yeonhwa, leaning against the wall near the entrance and gazing at a hologram, suddenly looked up. Her eyes widened, and I could see my figure rapidly approaching in her bright red eyes.
“Yeonhwa!”
Without hesitation, I rushed into her embrace. I wrapped my arms tightly around her waist and buried my face deeply into her chest.
The feeling I had missed so much in the dungeon was there.
A soft sensation, like being buried in the clouds, mixed with the sweet, rich scent of her skin. The warmth of her body, filled with the warmth of the world, made feel as if my mind was being gently unraveled.
“Hehe…”
[Happiness]
Happiness blood in . It felt as if all the stress I had accumulated in the dungeon was lting away like snow.
My wings, still in their sky-like form, fluttered gently.
“Heh, Ha-Yul... Did you miss that much?”
Hong Yeonhwa, who had been blinking in confusion, also smiled brightly and pulled into a tight hug. One hand wrapped around my waist, and the other gently stroked my head.
“Yes… I missed you.”
“Hehehe, I missed you so much too. You can’t imagine how much.”
I lifted my head slightly, and Hong Yeonhwa’s red eyes were looking down at , filled with affection that felt like it was dripping onto my face.
“Hehe.”
I couldn’t help but laugh again. With a smug smile, Hong Yeonhwa lowered her head, as if to make a move.
What could it be? I didn’t need to ask.
I kept my eyes closed, calmly enjoying the longing anticipation.
“Huh?”
...But she didn’t co down. I blinked, realizing that Hong Yeonhwa’s gaze had shifted to the back of . My cheeks puffed out automatically.
[Jealousy]
Curious, I turned my observation to where her gaze was directed, and I could sense Lee Ji-Yeon and the fairies standing awkwardly a little further away.
Lee Ji-Yeon was rolling her eyes while staring at a distant mountain, and the fairies were also tilting their heads and covering their mouths.
“…What’s that?”
Among them, Hong Yeonhwa’s gaze was fixed on the fairies.
‘Ah.’
I suddenly realized what was going on after hearing her mutter absently. I hadn’t introduced them yet. I had been so excited to see her, I completely forgot.
[Ah... These are the fairies I brought from the dungeon.]
“Hmm…?”
Hong Yeonhwa blinked in confusion, seemingly not understanding.
“…Ahem, hello.”
At that mont, one of the nine fairies flew up. It was Kali, the one with black hair.
“I’m Kali, the fairy who followed the king. Nice to et you.”
“King…? Uh, right, uh… nice to et you.”
Kali’s stiff greeting was accompanied by a bow until her waist, while Hong Yeonhwa awkwardly responded and then glanced at with a slightly confused look.
No words or telepathic signals ca, but I could feel her thoughts asking what that ant.
[Ahaha]
I let out an awkward laugh. Honestly, I still didn’t understand the whole "king" thing.
“Is this person also a queen?”
“Hmph, yes, I… this person ‘too’?”
Ah.
...
[Hey, don’t go around calling anyone queen…]
I managed to convince Hong Yeonhwa after so back and forth and finally entered the mansion, rembering to give the fairies a telepathic warning.
I didn’t understand why they kept calling "king" either, but it would definitely cause problems if they kept calling anyone “queen” like that.
[Then, is this human, Hong Yeonhwa, not a queen?]
The yellow-haired fairy, Lio, tilted her head and asked.
Having listened to the warning, her expression turned slightly awkward as she whispered through telepathy.
[No... I an... it’s not that... but, well, I’m not really a king...]
[Then we shouldn’t call you queen?]
[.....]
I responded awkwardly as Lio whispered through her telepathy, moving along with the group.
“Ha-Yul! You’re a day late... huh?”
“Finally ho! Oh, and what did you bring with you?”
As expected, as soon as we entered the mansion, the fairies caught everyone's full attention.
Elia and Baek Arin were both staring at us with wide eyes, and I couldn’t help but smile at their reaction.
[What’s all this talk about Hong Yeonhwa’s mischief?]
I beca curious about Baek Arin’s broken words.
Mischief? I didn’t think Hong Yeonhwa had been up to anything, so there had to be so backstory.
“Oh! Wait, listen to !”
Baek Arin’s voice bood as she pounded her chest with her big hands, sounding sowhat indignant.
“While you were gone, Hong Yeonhwa kept ssing with , saying she’d kick out of the house and all that… I almost cried from how badly she teased …”
“Hey! You ate my hotdog!”
“Not just one! You could’ve given one more! You’re so petty!”
“It was Ha-Yul’s! Damn you…”
“Hong Yeonhwa, you’re starting to lose control of your filter…”
As expected, there was always so back-and-forth with these two. I nodded understandingly while they argued, when another voice suddenly echoed in my head.
[My lord, are those two also queens?]
This ti, it wasn’t Lio, but a whisper from the fairy nad Randy, who had switched over to Lio’s telepathy. Randy’s gaze shifted between Elia and Baek Arin.
[No... um… hmm…]
Hmm... uh... what?
Ahem
[When everyone’s gathered, I’ll explain.]
[Ah, you avoided the question!]
[Randy, you should’ve figured it out by now!]
[Ahh]
‘Tch.’
The fairies whispered amongst themselves. Their conversation, detected by my mana sense, filled with a strange tightness in my chest.
“Oh, Se-Yul is already asleep…”
[Yes, I checked.]
[It’s too late to wake him now. I’ll explain to him later.]
Coincidentally, my teacher and Professor Liana were in the mansion too.
It didn’t take long for everyone to gather.
“Hm, uh…”
“Mm…”
Sitting around the round table in the lobby, soon, the two of them ca down the central staircase.
They blinked in surprise at the unexpected fairy visit but rushed over to check on my condition the mont they saw .
Their hands traced over my body, and mana leaked from them, scanning .
Last ti, they had left my injuries unchecked in order to boost my recovery, but since then, they’d been checking thoroughly for any injuries.
Living together had its inconveniences.
Back at the dormitory, I used to cut and heal my arms at will, but now, I had to be careful not to get caught or I might be punished...
[Really, I’m not injured.]
But this ti, I hadn’t actually gotten hurt.
The spirits and summons fought for , and Lee Ji-Yeon was always by my side, looking after .
It was a bit frustrating. If I’d co alone, I could have been more active on my own.
...But the warmth and sense of security from being protected felt incredibly comforting. The feeling of wanting to protect soone was strong, but the feeling of being protected was just as strong.
Ahem
I collected my thoughts and brushed aside the distractions. In any case, I wasn’t hurt, and I didn’t have anything to be ashad of. I straightened my chest proudly.
As I stood like that, the hands that had been checking slowly pulled away.
“Even though it’s level 2, I was worried you might get hurt. But thankfully, you seem fine. Did you manage to gather all the spirits?”
[Yes, I brought almost a hundred from the dungeon.]
[And all the previous ones were also filled, so I just need the upgrade now.]
[Could you help with that later...?]
“Of course. I’ve already prepared everything for the upgrade, so just let know if you need anything.”
[Yes! Thank you!]
Professor Liana smiled brightly as she patted my hair.
Her hand, which had been lingering on my cheek, withdrew, but before it fully left, I turned and gently pressed my lips against her palm.
A kiss on the palm of her hand made it tremble in surprise.
Her eyes widened in shock, but soon she understood the situation and gently smiled, pressing her lips firmly against my cheek.
“Well, of course, who would think you’d get hurt after all that? It’s only natural.”
“That’s what the so-called ‘naturals’ say, but after Ha-Yul left, I couldn’t even sleep properly—”
“Shut up.”
“You’ll lose your filter soon enough… By the way—”
Professor Liana, who had trailed off, turned her attention to the fairies. As their attention shifted, the fairies flinched and looked at her, and she gave them a warm, reassuring smile.
“It’s nice to et you, fairies. I’m Liana Belus.”
Her voice, matching her soft expression, was kind and soothing. With her strong presence and a touch of maternal warmth, the fairies relaxed their previously tense postures.
‘Her affinity with spirits must have played a role in that.’
Professor Liana’s affinity affected not only spirits but also fairies, who were sowhat related to them.
Even Se-Yul, who had always been on edge, had opened up easily to Professor Liana because of her strong spirit affinity.
I imagined the fairies were feeling the sa way. Honestly, I was also feeling a desire to curl up in Professor Liana’s arms, like I wanted to act like a child.
The sa feeling was present with Elia, who also had a strong affinity for spirits.
Although I wasn’t sure if that affinity could beco a unique ability, if they continued to grow this way, it might one day turn into one.
[Hmm, then if I explain the situation…]
We gathered around the round table in the lobby on the first floor. After scanning everyone with my gaze, I began to speak.
[As for , I believe Liana is the queen.]
[As for the dungeon—]
Cough!?
“Ha-Yul!? Why the sudden…?”
“Ah, no... It’s nothing.”
The mont that strange voice hit my head, I choked. For a second, I thought it was who had said it.
But it wasn’t. I looked over at Hong Yeonhwa, who was startled and handing a glass of water. I drank it quickly, swallowing the sensation stuck in my throat and then looked toward the fairy who had made the odd comnt.
They were now sitting comfortably, relaxed.
The fairies, now seated comfortably at the table, had seemingly relaxed. Their previous stiff and tense postures had eased, and I could sense that the atmosphere had shifted.
[What’s going on here?]
The strange comnts from the fairies seed to have made everyone else a bit more curious. I glanced over at Hong Yeonhwa, and saw that she was trying to hold back a smile, as if she found the whole situation amusing.
I took a deep breath, trying to push aside the feeling of discomfort caused by the strange energy in the room. There was a mix of curiosity and hesitation hanging in the air.
"So, what exactly did you say about ?" I asked, not wanting to leave any loose ends.
Lio, one of the fairies, quickly stood up and shook her head as if to apologize, though her eyes were still bright with wonder and curiosity.
[We... we didn’t an anything bad, really.]
Her voice was soft, and I could feel the sincerity in her tone. Yet, there was still an air of nervousness in the room.
I chuckled and turned my attention to the others.
[It’s okay. You didn’t do anything wrong. But I do think we need to get so things cleared up.]
"Yeah... I still can’t believe it," Hong Yeonhwa said, her voice laced with disbelief. "A ‘king’ and ‘queen’—what’s all that about?"
I smiled sheepishly. "I honestly don’t know either. But it seems like they see as their 'king' for so reason."
The fairies, hearing this, exchanged confused looks before Lio spoke up again.
[But... you are the king. You saved us, and... you’re the one who guided us out of the dungeon.]
I blinked, not quite following her logic. "Wait, you’re saying I’m the king just because I helped you?"
[Yes!]
The chorus of agreent from the fairies left speechless for a mont. It was a strange feeling, this newfound role they had assigned to . I was beginning to realize that there was much more to this than I had first thought.
"And now you think I’m so kind of queen too?" Hong Yeonhwa’s voice cut through the conversation with a playful tone, though there was a hint of uncertainty in her words.
Lio, seemingly unfazed by the question, nodded earnestly.
[Yes, Queen Yeonhwa. You’re also royalty in our eyes.]
I chuckled at the idea. "I guess we’ve got a whole kingdom going on here, huh?"
There was a brief silence before everyone, including the fairies, broke into laughter. The mood lightened, and it felt like the awkwardness from earlier had been swept away.
As the laughter died down, I glanced over at the others—Elia, Baek Arin, and the rest of the fairies—all still watching with curiosity, yet a bit more at ease now.
[What exactly is going on here?]
The question, coming from Randy through telepathy, made pause. "I’ll explain later," I replied, giving the fairy a reassuring smile.
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