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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 88
Chapter Title: A Quiet Afternoon
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It was a peaceful weekday afternoon.
“Hmm…”
Was it because Seol-i had gone to daycare? The whole house felt silent.
“Your Highness, is something the matter?”
The question came from Iriel, who was sitting across from her, neatly folding the clothes they had just finished washing.
Lee Su-bin gave an awkward smile and replied in a soft, low voice.
“It feels empty without Seol-i.”
Normally, thanks to Seol-i constantly chattering, “Auntie! Auntie!”, she wouldn’t have even finished half the housework by now.
But…
Despite having cleaned the entire house and even finished the laundry, it wasn’t even one in the afternoon yet.
“Yes, indeed…”
Iriel replied curtly in her characteristically blunt tone, then glanced around the living room before adding.
“With Her Highness the Princess absent, the entire imperial household certainly feels desolate…”
At Iriel’s words, Marbas, who was curled up on the balcony staring blankly out the window, also let out a small whimper, “Kiiing…”
*I’m bored…*
Whenever he wanted to rest, the little Immortal would inevitably approach with a “Woof!” and pester him. He’d always found it annoying, but…
Now that the little Immortal was gone, for some reason, time felt like it was passing much more slowly than usual.
“Hmm, it’s going to be like this every day from now on…”
As Lee Su-bin muttered this, a shadow instantly fell over the faces of all the family members.
It wasn’t just a matter of worrying whether Seol-i would adapt well to her new life…
It seemed the rest of the family also needed to make an effort to adapt to their new routine.
“This won’t do.”
Having said that, Lee Su-bin shot up from her seat, picked up a flyer from the dining table, and spoke.
“We should do something.”
On the flyer in Lee Su-bin’s hand, the words ‘SUPER SALE’, printed in large red letters, stood out conspicuously.
* * *
*Beep, beep, bee-beep.*
Kang-jun, who had just returned home with Seol-i, called out softly, “Noona,” but…
For some reason, there was no reply.
“Huh.”
With no answer, an awkward Kang-jun scratched his head and glanced down at Seol-i, asking casually.
“Why is no one here?”
“Nobody’s here.”
“Where did they all go?”
“Where’d they go?”
Kang-jun then continued, as if muttering to himself.
“Crabslie would be at work…”
Not only his sister and Iriel, who should have been home, but even Marbas was gone.
“Hmm…”
As Kang-jun stood there blankly.
“Papa-!”
Seol-i lightly tugged on Kang-jun’s sleeve.
“Seol-i, hungry…”
Muttering an “Ah,” Kang-jun finally gathered his thoughts and checked the time.
One in the afternoon.
Since she had left daycare without eating lunch, it was indeed time for her to be getting hungry.
“Let’s wash our hands first.”
At that, Seol-i nodded her head several times and began to speak.
“Have to wash hands after going outside.”
Kang-jun, on the other hand, was busy recalling a passage from the ‘Parenting Encyclopedia’ he had read countless times.
*What was it exactly…?*
According to the author, an expert in child psychology, cooking with a child was highly beneficial for their emotional development.
Moreover, using ingredients the child dislikes in the process was supposed to be a great help in correcting picky eating habits…
“Alright.”
Kang-jun, having made his decision, added.
“After we wash our hands, let’s cook with Papa.”
At his words, Seol-i’s eyes sparkled as she asked.
“Cook?”
Kang-jun nodded in reply.
“Yes, cook.”
For the record, in his long life spanning several hundred years, Kang-jun had never once cooked for himself.
No, he’d never needed to.
Weren’t there dozens of dedicated chefs in the palace’s internal affairs department, which Iriel used to manage?
It was the same after coming to Earth.
Lee Su-bin prepared three meals a day, and when she couldn’t for some unavoidable reason, he ate at a nearby restaurant.
“Wow! Sounds like fun!”
Seol-i, who had no way of knowing this, just looked incredibly excited, while Kang-jun, for some reason, was filled with confidence.
“Time to show off my skills, I suppose…”
“What are we making?”
“Is there anything you want to make?”
After thinking for a moment with an “Umm…”, Seol-i answered.
“Pizza!”
Kang-jun nodded and replied.
“Alright, let’s make a pizza…”
Meanwhile.
“Poochie, you’ll be okay, right?”
Lee Su-bin asked gently as she handed Marbas, whom she was holding tightly, to the owner of the dog cafe.
“Please take good care of him.”
Since she couldn’t take Marbas to the supermarket, she had stopped by a nearby dog cafe to leave him there for a while.
“We’ll be back soon!”
After leaving Marbas at the dog cafe, Lee Su-bin and Iriel headed straight for the supermarket…
*They always leave me behind…*
Left alone, Marbas whimpered softly with a glum face, “Kiiing…”
Several dogs of various breeds, who had been playing together, stealthily approached Marbas…
*What? Aren’t you going to scram?*
The dogs, all looking different, pressed their noses right up to Marbas’s rear and began sniffing, “Sniff, sniff.”
*Huh?*
But it didn’t feel bad.
*This… isn’t so bad…?*
Soon, Marbas also began pressing his nose to the other dogs’ rears and sniffing.
“Sniff, sniff…”
For humans, this was no different from introducing oneself or shaking hands upon first meeting.
To dogs, sniffing each other’s butts was basically a greeting.
Marbas, once one of the 72 demons who ruled all of Hell and a preeminent figure of power…
*Round and round…*
Was now preoccupied with chasing the other dogs’ tails and sniffing their butts.
Meanwhile.
Su-bin and Iriel had quickly arrived at the supermarket and were now shopping with a cart.
“It’s a little better now that we’re out.”
Lee Su-bin finished speaking and muttered softly as she placed various ingredients into the cart.
“Oh, looks like the cheonggukjang is on sale!”
To which Iriel replied, “Oh, cheonggukjang,” before adding in an exceedingly serious tone.
“A spoonful of the hot, savory broth from the thick stew, mixed with rice… you can finish a whole bowl in an instant.”
“Right, right.”
“Her Highness Subin, if I may be so bold, how about we also buy a block of soft tofu, slice it thickly, and add a generous amount?”
Having spoken so eloquently, Iriel seemed to be salivating already, swallowing the saliva that had pooled in her mouth with a gulp.
After meticulously checking the expiration date before placing the cheonggukjang in the cart, Lee Su-bin couldn’t help but let out a small laugh.
The memory of Iriel pinching her nose shut because of the pungent smell the first time she served it naturally came to mind.
“So for dinner tonight, cheonggukjang stew and…”
Iriel then spoke cautiously.
“Her Highness Subin, if I may be so bold, how about we prepare some seasoned seasonal greens as side dishes to serve with the meal?”
“That sounds great.”
“According to the TV show ‘Master Homemaker’ that we watched together recently, greens like chamnamul and dolnamul are in season and taste excellent…”
Nodding several times in a row, Lee Su-bin pointed into the distance and said.
“Looks like the chamnamul is on sale, too!”
“Your Highness, let us go before it’s too late.”
And so, the two began to buy groceries for dinner, chatting amiably.
They occasionally exchanged trivial chatter and sampled free food together.
“You two seem like very close sisters.”
At the sudden comment from the woman at the sample corner, Iriel’s eyes widened as she stammered.
“Sisters? How could you…”
Lee Su-bin, on the other hand, found it amusing and playfully nudged Iriel’s side with her elbow.
“Hey, what’s wrong with that?”
Then she added again.
“How about you start calling me ‘older sister’?”
At that, Iriel blushed and was about to say softly, “Your Highness…”, when Su-bin spoke.
“I’m so glad you’re here, Miss Iriel.”
At Lee Su-bin’s sudden words, Iriel couldn’t hide her flustered expression and quickly replied.
“On the contrary, I am the one who is honored to serve Your Highness, a member of the imperial family…”
Lee Su-bin replied awkwardly.
“The truth is, housework is… well, it’s endless, isn’t it?”
“Yes, that is true.”
“But with you helping, it feels so much easier, and I don’t get bored…”
In fact, she was so meticulous and quick that she handled any task given to her with ease.
Above all…
Perhaps it was because their relationship had grown stronger as they spent more and more time together?
“It’s fun being with you.”
“Pardon?”
“It feels like I’m with a friend.”
Sometimes, it felt like she was spending time with a close friend her own age.
After years of being worn down by a harsh life, Lee Su-bin had no friends left.
As the saying goes, out of sight, out of mind; she had lost contact with them one by one.
“Miss Iriel, aren’t you bored?”
“Pardon?”
“It’s the same routine every day.”
Lee Su-bin said again.
“Usually, at your age, girls dress up and go out to hang out with friends or date, rather than just staying at home…”
Her voice trailing off vaguely, Lee Su-bin added carefully, her tone full of apology.
“I have fun with you every day, but on the other hand, I feel restless, like I’m making you waste your youth.”
“Not at all.”
“In a way, this should be the most brilliant time of your life, but you’re just helping with housework every day…”
Iriel asked back firmly.
“Her Highness Subin, if I may be so bold, does that not apply to you as well?”
“Pardon?”
“I heard that you spent a long time raising Her Highness the Princess alone, suffering from severe financial hardship.”
She paused for a moment before adding.
“It is time to let your burdens go.”
“But still…”
“Hasn’t the situation improved a great deal?”
Then she said again.
“And I, too, am happy with how things are now.”
Iriel smiled softly.
“I am happy because I can see my Lord smile brightly, and it is truly wonderful to watch Her Highness the Princess grow up so well.”
“Huh?”
“Having heated discussions about Earth’s delicacies with the Grand Duke, and spending time just like this, chatting with you, Your Highness… I enjoy it all.”
Muttering “No, that’s not it,” Iriel continued to speak, her tone unusually warm.
“I like this life here.”
At her words, Lee Su-bin asked back.
“But you can’t keep living like this forever, can you?”
“Pardon…?”
“Once you get in touch with your family, you’ll have to return to your world.”
Then, with a smile, she added again.
“Anyway, alright.”
“Yes?”
“It’s my treat.”
Lee Su-bin said abruptly, a smile on her face.
“Let’s go have some fun for a change.”
“Have fun, you say…?”
“Just trust me and follow me.”
Lee Su-bin then linked arms with Iriel and began to drag her somewhere.
“This place is…?”
The place where the two stopped was…
“You’ve never had your nails done, have you?”
None other than a ‘nail salon’.
“Embarrassingly, I have not…”
“I knew it,” Lee Su-bin replied, then began to explain.
“To put it simply, nail art is a general term for painting, decorating, or managing your fingernails and toenails.”
Muttering an “Ah,” Iriel nodded as if she understood.
“The noblewomen of Anux also put great effort into painting or decorating their nails.”
“To be honest, I don’t even know how long it’s been since I last got my nails done. Two years? Three?”
The nail salon employee, who had been quietly listening to their conversation, glanced down at Iriel’s hands and asked casually.
“Ma’am, is this your first time getting your nails done?”
“Yes…”
“Oh, your nails seem to be stained slightly red.”
Then she asked again.
“Have you dyed them with balsam flowers recently?”
Iriel shook her head and answered.
“Since ‘blood’ and ‘bits of flesh’ are perpetually stuck between my fingers and nails, I believe the discoloration has set in all the way to the roots…”
At those words, the nail salon employee’s face filled with bewilderment, and Lee Su-bin muttered awkwardly, “Oh my…” before replying.
“There you go with those unfunny jokes again…”
Just as Iriel was about to continue, “It is not a joke, but the truth…”
“Stop, stop…”
Unable to hide her awkwardness, Lee Su-bin rambled a bit before turning to the employee and saying.
“Could you make them as pretty as possible?”
“Oh, dear…”
Kang-jun muttered, looking troubled, and stared down at the ‘pizza dough’ he was kneading.
He had boldly declared they would make pizza together, but he was completely stuck right from the dough-making stage.
When the dough felt too wet, he added flour, but then it felt too dry, so he added more water.
This process repeated endlessly, and not only had he used up all the flour in the house…
“Wow, it’s huge!”
The ‘size’ of the dough had ended up several times larger than originally planned.
The biggest problem was that despite all that, he still hadn’t gotten the consistency right, and the dough was dripping everywhere.
“Alright, shall we add the toppings…”
Kang-jun somehow managed to spread out the dough whose consistency he’d failed to control, and then spread the pre-prepared tomato sauce on top.
“The dough might be a mess, but the toppings are what really determine the taste of a pizza anyway…”
Hearing that, Seol-i exclaimed, “Yay!” and began to sprinkle various toppings onto the dough.
“Bacon, onions, bell peppers…”
Just then, Kang-jun hummed, “Hmm?” and asked Seol-i.
“I don’t see any corn.”
Startled by his words, Seol-i gasped, “Huk!” then fiddled with her index fingers and answered in a dejected tone.
“Papa, Seol-i is sowwy…”
“Hm?”
“Seol-i ate it all…”
It seemed that because the dough-making had taken so long, she couldn’t stand the hunger and had eaten all the ‘canned corn’ prepared for the topping.
*Cute…*
Kang-jun replied.
“I didn’t know you liked corn so much.”
“Corn is yummy…”
“I’ll buy you a cornfield in a few days.”
After repeating, “A cornfield?” Seol-i tilted her head this way and that before replying.
“Okay, I like it!”
She didn’t really know what it was, but since he said he’d buy it for her, she felt happy.
“So, all I have to do is put this in a preheated oven and bake it, and it’ll be done…”
Kang-jun, who was reading a recipe he’d looked up on his smartphone, clicked his tongue with a “Tsk,” and began to scratch his head.
An oven is not a defibrillator.
He judged that there was no way this pizza, which had already met a tragic end before it was even finished, would be miraculously revived just by baking it in the oven.
If he had to introduce this pizza to someone, a name like ‘Ghoul’s Corpse Scraps’ seemed just about right.
“Pizza! Pizza!”
Kang-jun glanced at Seol-i, put the pizza in the oven, and pressed the buttons as he replied.
“Seol-i, do you want to watch some TV while it bakes?”
After sending Seol-i to the living room.
“Whew.”
Kang-jun immediately launched an application on his smartphone, ‘Delivery Tribe’, and quickly began ordering a pizza.
“I have no choice but to swap it out…”
He thought it was a good thing his sister had taught him how to order food on his smartphone in preparation for times when she wasn’t around.
“I can’t destroy her childhood innocence…”
Then, with slow fingers, he tapped the screen and began to type in the ‘delivery instructions’.
- Caution.Must.be.delivered.secretly.Leave.at.door.and.call.discreetly. If.you.ring.the.bell.or.knock.on.the.door.your.happiness.too.will.vanish.like.a.mirage.
Sometimes, a ‘white lie’ was necessary.
