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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 89
Chapter Title: A Peaceful Afternoon
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Meanwhile.
After their appointment at the nail salon, Lee Su-bin and Iriel headed to a nearby café, where they sat chatting over sweet drinks.
“Do you like them?”
At Lee Su-bin’s question, Iriel, who had been staring intently at her own nails, nodded and replied.
“They are beautiful….”
Her nails, meticulously painted a soft pink, were adorned with an array of charming decorations like ribbons and hearts….
But why?
Simply gazing at her brilliantly decorated nails filled her with a strange sense of ease.
She felt she could finally understand why the noblewomen of the Anux Empire had been so passionate about something as trivial as ‘nail decoration.’
“See, I knew you’d like it.”
Lee Su-bin was just as excited, having gotten her nails done for the first time in years.
“I like mine, too.”
Getting her nails done and sitting in a café to chat after so long made her feel inexplicably giddy.
“Ah, this feels great.”
Spreading her delicate hands to admire them, Lee Su-bin smiled with satisfaction and spoke again.
“There’s nothing like getting your nails done for a change of pace. Should we do this more often, just the two of us, to lift our spirits?”
As she finished, Lee Su-bin began to organize her thoughts, continuing.
“We did our nails today, so how about we go to a hair salon next time? And after that, we could go shopping in the underground arcade.”
Iriel, who had been listening intently, nodded repeatedly and replied in a gentle tone.
“Yes, I would be honored.”
She then added.
“You seem pleased as well, Your Highness.”
A bittersweet smile touched Lee Su-bin’s lips as she nodded and carefully revealed her thoughts.
“I was just so overwhelmed by life that I never had the chance, but I actually love getting dressed up.”
Iriel replied softly.
“I never knew.”
It was because the Emperor’s sister rarely wore makeup.
The same went for her attire.
She always stuck to simple and comfortable clothes, so Iriel had never imagined she would be interested in adornments.
“In that case, I hope all the more that we can come out together like today for a ‘change of pace’.”
“I’d love that,” Lee Su-bin replied, taking a sip of her iced Americano.
“Your Highness Subin.”
At Iriel’s serious tone, Lee Su-bin looked up.
“You said you would consider me a friend, did you not?”
“Huh? Yes….”
“May I ask you something?”
Lee Su-bin, her face full of curiosity, nodded a few times.
“Is something troubling you?”
Lee Su-bin asked in return.
“What’s this all of a sudden….”
Iriel replied again.
“I ventured to ask because you have seemed downcast of late, and I have often found you lost in thought.”
“Ah….”
“Do friends not confide their worries in one another? If you truly feel that I am like an old friend…”
A moment of silence passed.
“I only wish that you would feel comfortable enough to tell me what troubles have been plaguing you recently.”
After a moment of hesitation, Lee Su-bin finally began to speak, her words coming with difficulty. “The thing is….”
“I have a feeling Kang-jun is hiding something from me. I can’t quite put my finger on what it is, but it’s definitely something important….”
Iriel answered immediately.
“I recall that my Lord has already told you the whole truth.”
“What?”
“If I may be so bold, sometimes the truth can be far more fictitious than fiction itself.”
She then added.
“I pray you do not forget that fact.”
As Iriel continued to give vague answers, Lee Su-bin was about to let out a dazed “Uh…” when Iriel spoke again.
“Your Highness, did you not once say that your life before my Lord’s return was like a ‘nightmare’?”
“I think so….”
“If you have long since awakened from that nightmare, then what is it that makes you so anxious?”
Lee Su-bin fell into thought at her words.
*What am I anxious about?*
Come to think of it, everything had improved in an instant.
And so.
It felt like it could all get worse again just as quickly.
“You simply need to continue living as you are now.”
Iriel pointed out the peaceful cityscape and the passersby visible through the café window, continuing in a soft voice.
“Is it not truly peaceful?”
“Yes….”
“It will continue to be so.”
She then added.
“Because my Lord is here.”
“No…” Iriel murmured once, a profound smile gracing her lips as she amended her statement.
“Because Her Highness the Princess is here.”
At that, a smile spread across Lee Su-bin’s face as well.
She had only confided her worries to Iriel, but…
That alone had made her heart feel much lighter.
“Oh, right.”
Lee Su-bin took out her smartphone and, fumbling with it in both hands, asked.
“Miss, should we take a selfie to remember this?”
“My knowledge is still lacking. I do not know what this ‘selfie’ you speak of is….”
After a moment’s thought, Lee Su-bin answered.
“Um, a selfie is a way of recording a memory.”
She then immediately scooted over to sit next to Iriel, raising her smartphone high into the air.
“Miss, could you look here for a moment?”
Just as Iriel fixed her gaze on the camera lens.
*Click.*
The shutter sound echoed as the picture was taken.
“I think we both came out well.”
“Oh…” Iriel exclaimed in admiration, staring for a moment at the picture of the two of them that had appeared on the screen.
“Your Highness Subin, I humbly ask, but if it is possible…”
“Yes?”
“Could you record this memory one more time?”
“Of course,” Lee Su-bin replied instantly and began snapping more selfies.
*A selfie is...*
Iriel, who had been stiff and unnatural at first, was now following Lee Su-bin’s lead, striking various poses.
*Truly an amusing thing….*
She was completely captivated by the charm of taking selfies.
***
*Bzzzzzzzz-*
The phone on the table began to vibrate as a message arrived.
“Ah.”
Kang-jun quickly picked up the phone and checked the text message.
[Your delivery has been completed at your door.]
Sure enough, it was a message informing him that the pizza he ordered had arrived.
*Thump, thump.*
With a nervous heart, Kang-jun glanced at Seol-i’s profile as she sat on the living room sofa.
Thankfully, she seemed completely engrossed in the animated show on TV.
*This is my chance….*
Kang-jun completely concealed his presence, opened the front door, grabbed the pizza that was waiting, and returned to the kitchen.
After transferring the freshly arrived, hot pizza onto a large tray, he hid the box out of sight to complete his perfect crime.
“Success….”
Kang-jun then called out to Seol-i.
“Seol-i, the pizza’s ready.”
At his words, Seol-i shouted, “Wow!” and ran to the kitchen in a flash to inspect the pizza she had made(?).
“Oh my, oh my….”
She clasped her small hands together and continued in an exaggerated tone.
“It wooks so dewicious….”
Kang-jun gripped a fork and knife tightly and cut a slice of pizza into bite-sized pieces for Seol-i.
“Here you go.”
As if she had been waiting, Seol-i opened her adorable mouth like a baby bird and began to eagerly eat the pieces of pizza Kang-jun offered her on the fork.
*Munch, munch….*
Watching Seol-i savor the pizza, her small mouth moving diligently, Kang-jun carefully asked.
“Seol-i, is it good?”
Seol-i’s voice rose with excitement as she boomed in reply, “It’s dewicious!”
*Beep, beep, be-beep….*
The sound of the door lock disengaging echoed, and soon after, the front door opened, and the family members who had been out began to trickle in.
“Auntie, Auntie, Doggie!”
Seol-i quickly ran to the entrance, tugging on Lee Su-bin’s sleeve and chattering away.
“Auntie wants to eat pizza too, wight?”
“Pizza all of a sudden?”
“Seow-i and Daddy cooked it.”
At that, Lee Su-bin asked, “Oh, really?” and stepped into the kitchen.
“Wow, this looks pretty legit.”
Spotting the combination pizza on the tray, Lee Su-bin’s eyes widened. Kang-jun replied awkwardly.
“E-Everyone, sit down and eat….”
Just then, Seol-i, who had returned to her seat and was munching on another piece of pizza, tilted her head and asked.
“But how did this happen?”
The family’s attention focused on Seol-i as she muttered in a serious tone.
“How is there cown?”
Somehow, the ‘corn topping’ that she should have eaten all of was now generously sprinkled all over the pizza.
“Th-th-that’s….”
Kang-jun couldn’t immediately think of a suitable excuse and was sweating, chewing on his lip, when Lee Su-bin intervened.
“Seol-i, how was daycare?”
At her question, Seol-i completely forgot her suspicions and began to excitedly recount her day.
“I studied with my fwiends!”
“Weren’t you scared?”
“Nope, because Seow-i is bwave!”
Seol-i then added.
“And Seow-i made a fwiend!”
“Really?”
“Yep, her name is Banana.”
This was a point of confusion for Lee Su-bin ever since she picked Seol-i up from daycare earlier.
“Is your friend’s name really ‘Banana’?”
“Yep, Banana.”
“How can a person’s name be Banana….”
Just then, Marbas started sniffing, “Sniff, sniff…,” his nose twitching as he slowly approached the closed oven.
Remembering the ‘ghoul corpse residue’ still sitting inside, Kang-jun quickly blocked Marbas with his foot.
“Yelp!”
***
As always, after working for hours at the convenience store, Crabslie opened the front door and shouted as he entered.
“Ta-da!”
He then swung the plastic bag in his hand and asked in an excited voice.
“I’ve brought plenty of discarded goods again today, so shouldn’t we all enjoy a feast?”
However, the response was cold.
“I’m not really in the mood.”
“Elder, me neither….”
“Grand Duke, I’m full as well….”
At their replies, Crabslie asked.
“Oh, what’s with everyone….”
Just then, Seol-i ran out.
“Gwampa, welcome home.”
She fidgeted with her index fingers and continued in a barely audible voice.
“Gwampa, Seow-i is sowwy….”
“Pardon…?”
“I made pizza with Daddy….”
She then added.
“The pizza was so dewicious that Seow-i forgot and didn’t weave any for Gwampa….”
“No way…” Crabslie muttered under his breath. He looked around at his family with resentful eyes before asking again.
“Haha, surely you’re not all telling me you ate pizza without me, are you?”
Silence.
“Good heavens….”
As if he’d lost his country, Crabslie dropped the bag he was holding and collapsed to his knees.
“Haha, you are all such jokesters.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I know you saved some for me.”
He immediately ran to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator.
“Not here. Where could you have hidden the piz-za….”
He checked the dining table.
“Huh, not here either….”
Finally, Crabslie’s gaze fell upon the closed oven.
“Oho, so you hid it in here….”
Muttering things like “I knew it!”, Crabslie pulled the oven handle and swung the door wide open.
“Th-this is….”
Discovering the ‘ghoul corpse residue’ inside the oven, Crabslie took a sharp breath.
Sensing a gaze from behind, he slowly turned his head.
He finally met the eyes of Kang-jun, who was looking down at him with a hardened expression.
“M-My Lord. What were you attempting to create to have failed so catastrophically?”
Kang-jun replied with solemnity.
“You may not believe it, but that is a pizza.”
“Pardon…?”
“The princess and I made it with great care.”
It was the pizza dough that Kang-jun and Seol-i had made earlier, which resembled a rotting ghoul’s corpse.
Since Seol-i was watching, he had no choice but to put it in the oven and pretend to bake it.
As a result, it had transformed into a well-baked rotting ghoul’s corpse in the oven preheated to 220 degrees.
Kang-jun glanced towards the living room and added in a chillingly soft tone.
“Making pizza is not easy.”
“So then….”
“It was a failure, so I ordered one without the princess knowing.”
Finally understanding the situation, Crabslie nodded and replied in a quiet voice.
“So that was the secret….”
Just then, Kang-jun added.
“I’ll leave the clean-up to you.”
At his words, Crabslie swallowed hard and asked, his voice trembling with anxiety.
“Haha, you mean I should separate it and dispose of it properly in the food waste bag outside, right…?”
But Kang-jun shook his head.
“Eat every last bit of it.”
“H-How….”
“Are there not many eyes watching?”
“B-But….”
“Sacrifice yourself for the greater good.”
After speaking, Kang-jun urged, “Hurry.” Crabslie reluctantly tore off a piece of the ‘pizza’ and shoved it into his mouth.
“Ugh….”
The mushy texture made him gag involuntarily. Kang-jun gently patted his shoulder and added.
“I’ll make it properly for you next time.”
At those words, Crabslie, with a look of utter horror, stared up at Kang-jun.
For some reason, those words sounded exactly like, “Next time, I’ll really show you.”
Just like any other day…
It was a peaceful afternoon.
