NOVEL NEXT Chapter 142
Waking from a deep slumber, a nagging feeling would suddenly wash over me whenever I thought today might be a good day. No day that started with such thoughts ever went well.
A few months ago, I mistakenly added an extra zero when writing a 10, causing chaos at the construction site, and there was an incident where I mixed up the order of materials that almost blew up the lab.
Every time, there were people around me helping so I managed to get through somehow, but it was inevitable that I’d wonder if I truly had a place here.
My abilities were outstanding for a human, but they fell short compared to the Beastfolk here. Our values were too different. Thankfully, Hanbaek… no, Ho-yeon was there to help me, or I would have undoubtedly been a total waste of space.
There were times I longed for such a life, but even a month of that made me feel like I was rotting away, so I knew I had to do something.
Was Ho-yeon up before me? I was all alone in bed. After receiving the royal treatment yesterday, I worried she might be overexerting herself, but I didn’t think it was too serious.
It wasn’t because she was sick; we just had our regular check-up, and the results said she was in perfect health.
I tidy up my disheveled hair and as I stepped outside the bedroom, a savory aroma hit me. Looks like breakfast is being made.
“Hmm hmm… Oh? Dokan, you’re up already?”
Hearing my name, Ho-yeon greeted me from the kitchen.
“Yeah, you’re up early too. Weren’t you saying you’ve been feeling tired recently? Are you okay?”
“I feel like I could fly. My body’s a bit light today… I was thinking about maybe exercising.”
“Exercising…? Planning on just a little run or something?”
“Not exactly running, but close. Go wash up quick, it needs to simmer a little longer… Oh, and shave too! It’s really rough whenever we kiss lately!”
I remember her telling me to grow some facial hair, and now she doesn’t want it. Well, I didn’t really want to grow it either, so I decided to listen to her.
I washed in a modern bathroom that didn’t match the overall vintage feel of the house. I shampooed my hair with a strange brand that was somehow familiar, and then used that shampoo to wash my body with a towel.
After rinsing off the foam that had gotten onto my lips, I finished shaving with a razor that hadn’t been there yesterday.
With the house designed like a traditional Eastern-style home, it was amusing that the bathroom and kitchen were modern—a testament to Ho-yeon’s foresight or perhaps simply her dislike of hassle.
As I exited the bathroom, the savory scent from the kitchen wafted in.
Eggs… fish… chives… pork… Hold on, this feels a bit ominous.
Entering the kitchen with a slight trepidation, I saw Ho-yeon cooking at the stove, wearing just an apron over her underwear.
“Uh, Ho-yeon? Where’s your… clothes?”
“Darling.”
What in the world? I was about to ask that, but she suddenly called me “Darling.”
“Ahem, Dokan. You’ve been pretty tired recently, right? Eat this, and how about we… exercise together?”
She brought a tray full of delicious-looking food to the table—an impressive feast. But it looked so enticing that I was scared to approach it too suddenly.
“Uh, Ho-yeon, I have to go to the Academy and Cheoncheogwon today, so maybe this evening…”
“I’ve finished all the discussions. Your role has been taken over by someone else. Don’t worry about the nation’s matters. Your parents will take care of it today. Okay? Dokan, I’ve seriously been waiting a long time.”
I tried to make excuses to escape, but Ho-yeon tightly grasped my hand.
The only things covering her pristine skin were a bandage wrapped around her chest, a sheer cloth beneath, and just a pair of panties. She looked at me intently, squeezing my hand gently.
“Hanbyeol says mom gets lonely at night. Dad thinks it’d be nice if you could comfort her…”
As she placed her hand over her swollen belly, she urged me to take action today.
“Please be kind for just today… Darling?”