926
Though the two weren't players, they were skilled in handling magic.
Shakira lived in the slums of Itaewon and learned magic from foreigners who could handle it, including <Mercenary King> Douglas Kim.
Hermit learned magic from <Stargazing Witch> Song Yun-seo while traveling with her after turning into a Mein.
"..."
So the two could detect the magic spread in Han Seo-hyeon's private space separated from the office.
They exchanged words while processing their assigned tasks.
"It seems to be a soundproofing spell."
"Yes, it's a soundproofing spell."
"They must be having an important conversation? Seeing how they cast a spell to prevent it from leaking even to us..."
"It seems so. So Hermit, I don't think it's something we need to worry about. Let's just do our work."
"Yes, let's do that."
As Han Seo-hyeon had selected them as her aides, the two knew she could trust them and that they knew how to keep boundaries.
There must be a good reason for casting a soundproofing spell.
They decided to be indifferent.
They decided to be indifferent, but...
"..."
The two couldn't focus on their work and just stared intently at their monitor screens.
Their fingers that should be typing on the keyboard were awkwardly floating in the air.
An awkward silence filled the room.
"...It must be for work, right?"
"We should believe that."
"Sigh..."
Hermit couldn't stand the silence and cautiously brought it up.
Shakira also gently revealed her thoughts this time.
Soon the two sighed.
They couldn't help it.
Because occasionally suspicious circumstances were detected whenever Eun-ha and Han Seo-hyeon cast a soundproofing spell to have a conversation.
"I still remember last time when the Director and Clan Lord came out looking like they'd been caught... The Director's face seemed quite red..."
"It was hard pretending not to know then."
"Somehow it seemed the Director noticed what we were thinking."
"The Director is quick-witted after all."
"But she makes mistakes sometimes too. That was also recently..."
"You mean when the two came in through the office door instead of coming out of the room? With that, they basically confirmed the rumor that there might be a secret door between the Director and Clan Lord's offices."
"I wonder what the clever Director did that day to mistake which door to return through?"
"They must have handled work we can't even imagine. That's why the Director asked us to keep it secret and couldn't raise her head for a while... The Director was so cute then."
"That's true. Usually she's so sharp and charismatic that I didn't know she had that side. Actually, since she's younger than us, it's not strange to find her cute."
"We can't help it since she doesn't show that side to us as her subordinates. Even I, who've worked with the Director for 10 years, saw it for the first time then."
"10 years, it's already been that long since Pandora Clan was founded. Time really flew by. Then Shakira must have experienced other incidents working with the Director for so long."
"You shouldn't talk like it's someone else's business. Hermit, you might experience it soon too."
"For example?"
"You might experience things like entering the Director's room after the Clan Lord leaves, and the room is stuffy, the Director is fanning herself saying it's hot, fixing her clothes with her other hand, and there's a musty smell in the room. You should practice managing your expression in preparation for that time."
"...That's very specific."
"And know that you might find traces they didn't clean up while tidying the Director's desk."
"I experienced such situations a few times at the other clan I was in before. It's no different here. Sigh..."
"It might be worse here."
"Is that so?"
"How many wives does the Clan Lord have?"
"...I can't completely deny it. For now, we only know about the Clan Lord and Director's relationship, and don't know much about relationships with others."
"Those relationships must be secrets only known to the staff working in those areas. Ah, and..."
"There's more?"
"I haven't experienced this yet, but in case you find traces left on the Director's face or body..."
"...I hope that doesn't happen. To pretend not to know even that..."
"Come to think of it, our work is quite arduous."
Once they started talking, the two shared the hardships of working as Han Seo-hyeon's administrative officers.
They could only confide in each other since they couldn't tell anyone else.
They sighed and gave bitter smiles as their gazes met over the monitors.
"Since I keep getting distracted trying to work like this, shall we go out and have a cup of coffee?"
"That sounds like a good idea."
It seemed they needed a change of mood.
The two decided to go out and get some fresh air while having coffee.
Even if all the administrative officers left their seats, Han Seo-hyeon would understand their feelings and allow it.
She might even welcome it.
Shakira decided to send a message saying they were leaving their seats as representatives.
That's when the office door opened.
"Sub-lord Noh Eun-ah?"
"Ah, Shakira unnie, Hermit unnie. I heard Eun-ha was here so I came, is Eun-ha here?"
"La la la~"
Noh Eun-ah, who had been harassed by people after regaining her existence and only recently got some breathing room, came in.
Ra-ra was flying around her, so it must have been with her.
*
After lightly teasing each other.
Han Seo-hyeon sat on Noh Eun-ha's lap and leaned her back against him.
She spoke as if satisfied.
"My husband's chair really is the best. I want to ask Brother-in-law Hae-su to make me one too."
"You like my lap that much?"
"Isn't it nice to be able to be close like this with the person you love?"
"Should I summon a clone to be your chair all day?"
"Rather than that, it might not be bad for your clone to handle work, and you just be my chair like this."
"Should I really do that? Should I not work and just hold you like this?"
"You're not taking what I said as a joke seriously, are you? If you did that, the others and the citizens would probably make me out to be a great criminal."
It's been 21 years since Eun-ha first met Han Seo-hyeon, 10 years since they got engaged, 9 years since they married, and 3 years since Noh Yu-seong was born.
That's how long and deep the time they've communicated has been.
It was more than enough time for her, who was once clumsy at expressing her feelings as they were, to naturally say words of love.
"Then I should savor it while I can be like this."
The same was true for Eun-ha.
Eun-ha gently embraced her waist so she wouldn't feel uncomfortable.
The scent from her body and perfume seemed to calm his mind and body.
Soon he changed the topic.
"By the way, I wonder if it's because Yu-seong has been close with clan members since he was young? Like today, he's been showing a lot of interest in clan members' training lately..."
"As expected of your son, he might want to become a player like you. Isn't that a good thing? Even if not, our children will have a hard time living normal lives anyway. They should have at least one means to protect themselves."
"...That's true."
Eun-ha responded in a sympathetic tone.
As Han Seo-hyeon said, his children would not be able to lead ordinary lives.
Pandora Clan was known as the top clan domestically, and now had recognition worldwide.
As the head of that clan, he couldn't help but receive the world's attention, and furthermore, he was also the sword of Ha Baek-yeon, head of the 4th generation Twelve Seats who would someday take the Fairy's position.
Meanwhile, his wives also had no less fame.
Han Seo-hyeon was an executive who could be called Pandora Clan's real power holder, and she was a direct descendant of the Sirius Group.
Jeong Ha-yang was a direct descendant of the Alice Group, and Lee Yu-jeong was a direct descendant of the Luminous Group.
Lastly, Ryu Yeon-hwa was known as <Divine Spear>, the strongest in Korea after Eun-ha, and was part of the 4th generation Twelve Seats.
So the children born to him and them were destined to receive the world's attention.
'It's a shame for the kids...'
Whether the children want it or not.
They will receive all sorts of expectations, and will be targets for people who hold grudges against him and his wives.
That's why he and his wives decided to teach the children self-defense so they could protect themselves from danger.
They also intended to send them to the academy when they grew up and came of age.
But they had no intention of forcing them to live as players even if they got player licenses.
"I hope Yu-seong, Yu-ran, Yu-rin, and the children to be born in the future don't become players if possible."
"You're not the only one who thinks that way. I think so too, and the others probably have the same thoughts. What parent could happily welcome their children saying they want to become players?"
Because they live in the world of players.
Eun-ha and Han Seo-hyeon, along with his other wives, knew how dangerous a profession being a player was.
It guaranteed honor, power, and high income, but you had to risk your life just as much.
They say death is always close, but players were the ones who kept death closest of all.
As parents, they hoped for safer professions than being a player.
Moreover.
"It's also a problem whether the children can handle your and Pandora Clan's high status. Becoming a player is in a way inheriting your will and taking over the clan."
"That's right, it would be too much for the kids."
The crown has weight.
After conquering the <Dungeon of the Abyss>, Eun-ha had now become a figure even the Fairy would find difficult to treat carelessly in this country.
Pandora Clan's reputation was also very high.
If the children become players, they would have to bear that weight, and would be compared to Eun-ha for their whole lives.
It wasn't a good future for the children.
So all of Eun-ha's wives didn't want their own child to succeed the <Monarch >.
Even if they didn't succeed his position, they each had things to pass down anyway.
They were people who had, and were wise enough not to need to be greedy.
—I have a lot of assets in my name, clan shares, and if necessary I could even pass down a subsidiary of the Sirius Group. Yu-seong can live luxuriously without working, so why would he be greedy for your position?
—I'm the same. I have enough wealth to pass down to Yu-ran, right? Yu-jeong, you're the same, aren't you?
—Yes, I have things my father and brother have been saving in my name for a long time, so I can pass those down to Yu-rin.
—You understand? So we'll take good care of the children's futures, Eun-ha, you just reign quietly as the head of the family. That's enough.
Throughout history.
The wives of those in power often schemed for their own children to inherit everything from the person in power.
No matter how good their relationship was with each other, once they had children, they had to move that way for their children's future.
But in the case of Eun-ha's wives, that situation didn't apply.
It could be said to be undignified as the head of the family, but his position wasn't attractive because they had more wealth than Eun-ha.
Above all, Han Seo-hyeon was paying attention to and coordinating so that discord wouldn't arise between them.
Her gift of being able to read the colors of people's emotions was very useful in that regard.
—Do you understand? We are a community of fate. So don't try to discriminate against children that aren't born to you, and consider all of Eun-ha's children as your own. Let's not be greedy towards each other, and if we have any grievances, let's share them right away.
Because of Han Seo-hyeon's coordination like that.
She and Jeong Ha-yang, Lee Yu-jeong, and Ryu Yeon-hwa got along well with each other.
On the other hand, she also organized how the children would call them so they could consider the children as their own.
She decided to have them use friendly "name+mom" instead of second, third, fourth mom, as numbers could instill a sense of hierarchy in the children and them.
As a result, Noh Yu-seong was comfortably accepting people other than Han Seo-hyeon as mothers without much resistance, and was loved by them.
Anyway.
"I don't want to force them to become players unless it's what the kids want. I just hope they live however they want."
"We feel the same way."
Just as his mother and father did, Eun-ha only wanted to support the children living as they wished.
Han Seo-hyeon agreed with his opinion.
That's when they heard a knock.
"Eun-ha, Seo-hyeon, it's Eun-ah. Can I come in now?"
"Noona?"
Noh Eun-ah's voice was heard from outside the door, penetrating the soundproofing spell.
Eun-ha wondered at her visit and asked Han Seo-hyeon's opinion with his eyes.
She nodded and answered for him while in his arms.
"It's fine. Come in, unnie."
With Han Seo-hyeon's words.
The door opened and Noh Eun-ah entered.
Ra-ra flew in following her.
"La la la~"
"I hope I'm not interrupting... Looks like I did interrupt. You two were cuddling instead of working?"
"Ah."
Noh Eun-ah said playfully.
Only then did Eun-ha realize he had Han Seo-hyeon sitting on his lap.
He felt awkward showing this side to his older sister.
On the other hand, Han Seo-hyeon reacted calmly.
"I have to cuddle like this whenever I get the chance since I can't even sleep with my husband every day. And Eun-ha's lap is surprisingly comfortable."
"Seo-hyeon... You weren't like this before, but you've become quite glib lately? Now it seems you know Eun-ha in more detail than I do."
"It's been 10 years since I married Eun-ha. But my husband still seems to like you more, unnie."
"Right? How much must he have liked me to even try conquering a black dungeon?"
"Unnie, do you want to sit here too? His lap is surprisingly comfortable."
"Oh, should I? When we were young, Eun-ha sat on my lap, but come to think of it, I don't think I've ever sat on Eun-ha's lap?"
"Sure, then come here noona."
Han Seo-hyeon subtly praising Noh Eun-ah.
Eun-ah smiled slightly at her words and approached the two like a cat, lightly stepping past the desk.
Han Seo-hyeon was about to give up her seat.
Eun-ha held her tightly so she couldn't get up.
"Huh?"
"You think I'd have trouble because of you two? Just stay there."
"..."
Han Seo-hyeon blinked blankly.
She sent an eye smile as if she didn't entirely dislike it.
Meanwhile, Eun-ha patted his left knee for Eun-ah to see.
"Here, noona sit down too."
"Then excuse me! Ah! My little brother's leg does feel different! There's no shaking and it's nicely soft!"
"La la la♪"
Ra-ra perched on Eun-ha's head, and Eun-ah plopped down on his left knee.
Leaning her back against Eun-ha's chest, she chattered in a cheerful tone.
Eun-ha wrapped his arms around their waists to keep the two from falling off.
A smile naturally formed on his lips.
'This feels nice. It really feels like noona has truly come back alive.'
It had been a few months since Eun-ah disappeared from the world, losing her existence as the price for her gift <Miracle >.
During that time, the sense of loss felt by Eun-ha and the Pandora Clan members was indescribable.
Even though some time had passed since Noh Eun-ah regained her existence, the feeling of loss from losing Noh Eun-ah still remained in Eun-ha's heart.
That's why he felt reassured that she existed right before his eyes.
He never wanted to lose her again.
Even though he had taken four women as wives, Eun-ha, who was still a fool for his older sister and younger sister, felt happy.
"By the way noona, what brings you to see Seo-hyeon?"
"Me? I did come to see Seo-hyeon, but I also came looking for you, Eun-ha."
Noh Eun-ah tilted her head back.
Her brown eyes looking up at Eun-ha's eyes were smiling brightly.
"Mom and Dad are there too, but I wanted to give this to you first, Eun-ha."
"Give what?"
"Well... Here, take it."
"What is this?"
"Here, Seo-hyeon take one too."
"Ah, it's out. Congratulations, unnie."
As if trying to surprise them.
Noh Eun-ah didn't say anything and handed over the envelope she was holding.
It was a letter envelope with a white background and gold borders.
The texture of the envelope felt very luxurious.
Eun-ha had an ominous feeling.
"..."
"Open it, Eun-ha."
Eun-ha just stared at the letter envelope with an unpleasant look, while Noh Eun-ah had a cheerful face.
'This couldn't be...'
It shouldn't be, it mustn't be.
He desperately wished it wasn't.
He didn't want to open it.
But he couldn't disappoint Noh Eun-ah who was hoping he would open the envelope.
Finally.
Rip.
Even though he didn't want to.
Eun-ha had no choice but to open the letter envelope and read the letter inside.
After a long wait, we two are going to have a time of covenant to walk the path of happiness together.
We will strive to understand each other, love each other, and truly become one.
We would be honored if you could take precious steps to bless our fruition.
Groom Han Chang-jin
Bride Noh Eun-ah
It was a wedding invitation.
It was content he didn't want to see.
Eun-ha wanted to kill Han Chang-jin.
Sincerely...