I Became A Married Man in Another World
Chapter 87
087 Unicorn (Side Story: Protect That Child)
He collapsed. Juhwan had collapsed. Yeonhwa’s heart began to thud wildly.
Peee… Peee… Peee… The sound of the baby horned rabbit echoed through the night air. A sense of worry seeped out through the horned rabbit’s mana.
The woman and the child rushed to the fallen Juhwan’s side, but he remained motionless on the cold ground.
An injured old man and a young man tried to lift Juhwan. They seemed to be trying to move him somewhere. However, Juhwan’s limp body was far too heavy for them. They couldn’t properly get him up.
‘Did I… did I do something wrong?’
Humans are fragile. But a contractor of Santa does not die easily.
The more mana one possesses, the stronger their life force, and no one had as much mana as a contractor of Santa.
Besides, the horned rabbit was by his side. Though still young, that child had already begun to use its power. She thought it would be enough to protect its master. She believed that if Juhwan and the horned rabbit joined forces, everything would be fine.
That was why she judged that watching from afar was enough. She believed she shouldn’t interfere because he needed to grow. But she might have been wrong.
‘W-what should I do?’
Her heart grew heavy with frustration because she couldn’t tell what was happening to Juhwan.
Every Rudolph in the world has a master. Their hearts are connected, so they know what their master wants and what state they are in without a word being said. They follow their master’s will naturally.
But Yeonhwa did not have a master yet. Their hearts were not connected.
Because of this, understanding humans and blending into society was far too difficult for Yeonhwa. She studied hard to learn the things one must observe and do in human society, but she was always full of mistakes. She continued to hover on the fringes, never truly integrating.
Yeonhwa was a Rudolph, yet not a Rudolph. She had been an incomplete existence ever since she came into this world.
What ‘she’ had wanted was a being to protect her son. It wasn’t for herself. She didn’t want a being that moved according to her own heart, but one that moved for the sake of her son. That was why ‘she’ could not be the master. Though a contractor of Santa, ‘she’ was not Yeonhwa’s master. Yeonhwa’s master was ‘her’ son, Juhwan.
But she wasn’t connected to Juhwan yet. Her heart felt anxious and restless. She wanted to be connected. She wanted to be of help to Juhwan.
She also wanted to pass on the things ‘she’ had said. ‘She’ had talked about Juhwan countless times. The cute things he did, his lovely actions, the times he was occasionally hateful, even the times he was a nuisance… Yeonhwa knew many of the endearing things about Juhwan. Ah, that’s right—she also had to tell him how much ‘she’ loved him. Because ‘she’ had asked her to tell him if they ever met.
Yeonhwa sprang to her feet. What if Juhwan ended up with many wrinkles like ‘her’ while she was waiting for him to grow? What if he fell ill? What if he disappeared because of it? She was too impatient to stay still. She hated just watching. She wanted to be by his side. Her heart and body were itching to move.
At that moment, a thin thread began to emerge slowly from Yeonhwa’s head.
It was red.
‘Wait, could this be…?’
When Santa made the contract with ‘her,’ he had pulled a single thread from his red clothes. Wrapping it around the young Yeonhwa’s horn, he had told ‘her’:
[I shall give you this one thread. When the child is ready to accept its master, the thread will connect. Then, in the truest sense, the child will fulfill your wish.]
Just as Santa had said back then, the red Santa’s thread fluttered before Yeonhwa’s eyes, flying through the air toward Juhwan. The end of the long, stretching thread seeped into Juhwan’s heart.
None of the humans noticed. But the horned rabbit stared at the thread with its black eyes wide and round.
Hehehehe. A laugh escaped Yeonhwa’s lips. It was done; she had become a true Rudolph. Her heart was connected to her master. And so, now she knew. He wasn’t dead. He was hurt, but he was fine. His body had already begun to heal his wounds. He was simply exhausted from pouring his energy into the healing.
Yeonhwa emerged from her hiding place and began to run vigorously toward Juhwan.
Yeonhwa’s body, which had been in the form of a human girl, began to transform back to its original state. A horn sprouted from her forehead, and her hands and feet became long legs. Hair grew long along her neck, fluttering softly in the wind. A powerful neigh burst from her mouth.
Juhwan’s face was so pale it was visible even in the darkness. Lij collapsed over Juhwan’s body as if falling.
“Juhwan! Juhwan!”
Juhwan’s body was drenched in blood. There were wounds on his hands and wrists so deep the bone was visible. It was the same for his face and shoulders.
His entire body was covered in gashes, torn long by the claws of the magical beast.
Oh my god! It felt as if her heart had been hurled into a dark abyss. God, please do not take this person away. He is all I have. Lij prayed desperately in her heart. She was panting, the sounds catching in her throat and refusing to come out. Her heart ached so much she couldn’t breathe.
Dorothy grabbed her shoulder tightly.
“Mom, Dad is okay. Dad is really strong. Dad is okay.”
The child’s tearful voice sounded almost like a scream.
‘I can’t be like this.’
She had to keep it together. Because she was a mother. But she couldn’t. She couldn’t go on without Juhwan. Only when he was there did she truly become human. She became a person. Without him, she was nothing. She was nothing more than a hollowed-out, rotten piece of bark.
Jack tried to lift Juhwan, but he was overcome by the weight and fell face-down on the ground.
He braced his hands on the ground and shook his head.
“I want to move him to the house at least, but I can’t. This man is too big; I can’t move him. It’s too hard with just my strength.”
The old man, who appeared to be Jack’s master, checked Juhwan’s eyes. He held his fingers to Juhwan’s neck for a moment before exhaling in relief.
“He’s alright. He’s just lost consciousness.”
Only after hearing those words could she finally breathe. It felt as if a heavy weight had suddenly settled in her head. Strength drained out of her body all at once.
Suddenly, she looked at the old man. His condition was also terrible. He seemed to have injured his left shoulder. His clothes were torn, and one side of his upper body was completely soaked in blood.
Normally, she would have felt pity or some kind of sentiment. But right now, she couldn’t think of anything. With Juhwan injured, his well-being was the only thing that could hold Lij’s attention.
Lij turned back to Juhwan. The old man said he was fine, but Juhwan lay as still as a corpse. Her heart was parched with anxiety. Was he really okay?
Terrified, she gently placed a finger beneath his nose. A faint, slow breath repeatedly touched her finger and passed. It was okay; he was breathing.
Lij tore her skirt into strips and wrapped them around Juhwan’s wounds. She wrapped them carefully, praying that the bleeding would stop even a little, and that the wounds would hurt even a fraction less. By the time she realized it, the flowing blood had already mostly stopped.
‘Thank goodness… thank goodness… he’s healing. Juhwan’s ability is treating him… he won’t die…’
Tears came pouring out.
Just then, Oz let out a peee. It was different from the sound it made when acting spoiled. It wasn’t exactly a warning, but there was a strange resonance in it.
Could it be that another magical beast had appeared…?
The moment that thought crossed her mind, Lij grabbed her karambit and turned around. She had to protect Juhwan. She had to protect Dorothy. She was the only one here who could protect them both.
But Lij’s eyes widened as she turned. Through her tear-blurred vision, she saw a horse as white as snow galloping toward them.
A long horn was attached to the horse’s forehead. Even in the darkness, the horse’s body emitted a faint light. It looked as if shimmering dust was falling from its form and floating into the air.
“My god, is that… a unicorn?”
Jack muttered.
Before anyone could react, the unicorn galloped right up to them.
The unicorn neighed. As if excited, it raised its front legs high, stamped once in the air, and then lowered its body.
“Ah!”
Startled, Lij raised her karambit. The unicorn tucked the horn on its head under Juhwan’s body. Her heart sank, wondering if even the beautiful unicorn was trying to attack Juhwan.
But faster than Lij could move, Juhwan’s body was lifted into the air. Juhwan’s body, which Jack had given up on moving several times, rose into the air as light as a feather.
“W-wait! What are you doing with Juhwan?”
While the flustered Lij was getting up, the unicorn had already placed Juhwan on its back and began to walk away with rhythmic hoofbeats.
“Oz! They’re taking Dad away!”
Dorothy shouted.
But Oz didn’t try to fight the unicorn. Normally, it would have definitely done something, but instead, Oz hopped along after them.
Juhwan’s arms and legs dangled from the unicorn’s body as it swayed.
In a panic, she grabbed Juhwan’s hand. Was the swaying hurting him? Or would he fall? Her heart lurched.
The unicorn seemed to be walking slowly, but it was much faster than Lij’s pace. Lij quickened her steps while holding Juhwan’s hand.
Dorothy ran alongside them, loudly telling Oz to save her dad.
Pee, pee. As if trying to soothe her that it was okay, Oz let out a small sound and hopped up onto Dorothy’s head.
Dorothy raised her arms and lowered them again, not knowing what to do. As she ran after the unicorn, she occasionally looked at Lij with a tearful face.
But… somehow, she felt it would be okay. Listening to the small cries Oz was making, she got the feeling that the unicorn wasn’t an enemy, but an ally.
In fact, the unicorn didn’t do a single threatening thing.
Looking closely at the unicorn’s movements, she could see it was walking carefully, making sure Juhwan didn’t fall.
Furthermore, its eyes held a tender gaze, as if it had met someone it had long yearned for.
‘It’s strange.’
For some reason, it felt like she had met this unicorn somewhere before. If she had seen such a beautiful unicorn, there was no way she wouldn’t remember it, so it was truly strange.
The unicorn approached the carriage slowly and used its horn to open the door. It shook its body slightly. It seemed to be trying to put Juhwan inside the carriage. However, without hands, it was difficult to perform such a delicate action with just its body.
Jack, who had followed, approached the side while warily watching the unicorn.
The unicorn’s eyes seemed to grow a bit sharp.
“I’m not trying to do anything bad. I just want to help.”
When Jack spoke as if making an excuse, the unicorn snorted and shook its head. Its white mane scattered light into the night air like a dream.
“Uh, you want me to hurry?”
Jack muttered and placed his hands on Juhwan’s body. The unicorn pressed Juhwan’s body close to the carriage and lowered itself slightly with a nudge.
Using that momentum, Jack pulled Juhwan into the carriage.
His strength was lacking. The moment Jack’s hands slipped, the unicorn quickly turned its head and pushed Juhwan’s body. Juhwan’s heavy body slid easily into the carriage.
Thank goodness. As Lij quickly jumped into the carriage, Jack stepped back outside. Lij soaked a towel in water and wiped away Juhwan’s blood.
Before she knew it, Juhwan’s wounds were beginning to close. The mangled flesh inside was gradually reattaching to the bone and skin.
‘Thank god.’
Lij grasped Juhwan’s hand and leaned her forehead against it. Tears fell onto the floor of the carriage.
“Mom, what about Dad? Is Dad okay because he’s strong?”
Dorothy asked softly in a frightened voice.
“He’s okay. Your dad has the power of healing. His wounds are already starting to close. He’s okay. He’s just sleeping.”
Dorothy slumped onto the carriage floor and murmured.
“Dorothy knew. Because Dad is strong.”
Her voice was trembling. Lij pulled her in with one arm and hugged her. Lij’s tears fell onto the child’s face. Dorothy clung to Lij’s body and murmured again.
“Dorothy knew. I knew everything was fine because Dad is super strong.”
The child was sobbing.
On Christmas Eve, she had promised to meet her husband on his way home from work. They had decided to go buy a gift for their son together.
They had teased their son, Juhwan, boasting that Mom and Dad were going somewhere nice. Even though he was already as big as an adult, their son tended to pout easily. He had been grumbling that only Mom and Dad were going out to eat something delicious.
“….”
She thought it was a relief they had left their son behind. But at the same time, she felt sorry. From now on, he would have to live alone without his mom and dad, and their son was only in his first year of middle school. He was too young.
If they settled the insurance and the house, would there be enough money for him to survive? Would the person who caused the accident pay the compensation properly? What if he didn’t even get that properly because he was young?
All sorts of worries came rushing in at once.
While she and her husband were walking on the sidewalk, a car had struck them both. Currently, she was coughing up blood into the wind. Her husband was pinned under the car, and she was trapped between a wall and the car.
They were probably both dying. That must be why she was seeing this. A man dressed in a Santa suit—likely Santa himself—was asking her in a serious voice.
“Hello. I am Santa. I saw the car rushing toward me while I was passing by, and it seems I lived thanks to the two of you. Thank you very much. It feels a bit strange to say this is in return, but I would like to grant you a wish. It happens to be Christmas Eve, and for us Santas, this is one of the only two days we can exercise our power.”
Santa’s white beard fluttered. Was it because she was dying?
Or was she already dead? She couldn’t hear any of the surrounding sounds anymore. It was strange, but only Santa’s voice came through clearly.
Santa asked again, sounding impatient.
“If you have a wish, it must be now. If you die, there’s nothing I can do. It is the rule of the world. A soul that dies here enters the world of the God of this place.”
Her vision began to blur. People around them were swarming and murmuring.
Someone looked at Santa and muttered something as if terrified.
She couldn’t hear the sound, but they probably called him a crazy person. Ah, so Santa really does have a physical form. Other people can see him too. It wasn’t an optical illusion.
“Your husband is on the verge of his last breath. He cannot answer. So there is only you, ma’am. Please, quickly, tell me your wish.”
Because Santa spoke so desperately, and because of a flickering hope, Yeonhwa moved her lips.
“Can you… save… us…?”
“I cannot. I cannot manipulate the lifespans of the people of this world at will. I am sorry.”
“….”
For someone telling her to make a wish, wasn’t Santa being a bit too bold about what he couldn’t do? Yeonhwa breathed shallowly. It was hard to breathe. If she couldn’t live again, there was only one wish.
“…My son… please protect… him… he needs someone to… protect him… so he won’t be lonely… someone who will always… be by his side… someone to protect him… my son….”
Santa closed his eyes for a moment as if thinking. His eyes moved back and forth beneath his eyelids. Even though her vision was blurring, strangely, that was the only thing she could see clearly.
Santa opened his eyes.
“Very well. It seems possible. But it will take time. To fulfill your wish, an ordinary Rudolph will not do. I need a child who can grow even without a master. Such a child cannot be obtained through normal means.”
Santa swallowed hard as if anxious. His beard twitched in a strange way.
“I shall give you a unicorn born from a Rudolph. It will be able to grow on its own without a master. But it will take time to fulfill your wish. Is that really alright?”
“…Yes… if my son can have such a being… it’s fine… I will wait….”
Santa took a small light out of his pocket. Looking closely, it was in the shape of a horse. A small horn sprouted from its forehead. A unicorn? It was smaller than a human fist. It looked just like a doll, but it was wiggling.
“This child will fulfill your wish.”
Santa scratched his clothes with his fingernail and pulled out a single thread. Like a dancing snake, the red thread moved sinuously in the air.
“I shall give you this one thread. When the child is ready to accept its master, the thread will connect. Then, in the truest sense, the child will fulfill your wish.”
Santa wrapped the thread around the unicorn’s small horn. The red thread was sucked into the white unicorn’s horn and disappeared in an instant.
Santa smiled, his beard shaking in relief.
“It is done. I was truly anxious about what would happen if you two died before the contract was complete. Now that it’s done, I hope you live the rest of your lives happily.”
Santa waved his hand.
“Customer, be happy! I will pour all of Santa’s power into fulfilling your wish. All the Santas in Santa Village are rooting for you!”
Her consciousness was fading. Belatedly, she wondered if her husband had died without pain. Please, he must have left without suffering….
With that thought, she lost consciousness. When she opened her eyes again, her husband was looking down at her face with his head bowed.
“Honey. It seems we’ve ended up in a strange place. I guess the afterlife looks like this these days.”
When she sat up and looked around, it was a lush forest. Santa’s voice came back to her one by one. Could it be that it was all real? The moment she thought that, someone’s voice came from below. It was the voice of a young child.
“What, what, what do I do? My body is strange. I-I turned into a human. What should I do? Why did my body become like this?”
Looking down, a tiny girl, like a fairy, was crying. She was smaller than the palm of a hand.
‘Ah, this is it, the unicorn.’
Though the appearance was different, she just knew. But it was strange. He clearly said it was a being to protect her son, so why was it here with them? What about her son?
“That son of a bitch Santa.”
As Yeonhwa spat out the words, her husband sighed.
“Honey, calm down. It’s not like your mouth hasn’t been foul for a day or two, but what if you get severely punished for saying that in a place that might be hell or heaven?”
“….”
When she explained everything that had happened while he was unconscious, her husband muttered:
“Son of a bitch!”
Right?
*
A lot of time passed after that.
The child, who was initially smaller than a palm, grew to the size of a human child in just a month. Thanks to that, she was able to live integrated into human society.
Yeonhwa and her husband worked hard to raise the girl. Perhaps the reason the child hadn’t gone to her son’s side was that she wasn’t ready yet. If so, they would have to educate her so she could live in human society when she met their son. So they really tried their best.
However, perhaps because the child wasn’t human to begin with, she couldn’t properly understand society. The common sense and norms that people naturally pick up through experience seemed difficult for a unicorn.
Eventually, after several accidents, Yeonhwa and her husband left the human city and went to live in a mountain cabin.
They found an abandoned boy and adopted him as their son. The adopted son and the girl grew up like siblings, but even when the adopted son became an adult, the unicorn still looked like a young girl.
And no matter how much time passed, the unicorn did not go to her son’s side. She couldn’t go. No path leading to her son was found anywhere.
Until the moment Yeonhwa reached her death, the unicorn remained by her and her husband’s side like their own child. Thanks to her, she wasn’t lonely, but what about her son? Juhwan must have continued to live alone, lonely and struggling all this time.
“He said it would take time, but he never said it wouldn’t happen until I died.”
Son of a bitch Santa. If I ever meet him, I’ll kill him.
Facing her end with that thought was truly a grievance.
