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“Ah… Dad…”

“…What?”

The sudden address made me freeze in thought.

It was a word I’d never heard or uttered in my entire life.

What did I just hear?

‘Did they just call me Dad?’

I narrowed my eyes at the unfamiliar word.

No matter how I looked at it, the face staring back at me was an exact replica of my childhood.

The boy looked no older than seven—at most, he couldn’t be past ten.

Much like my diminutive frame before my growth spurt, his small stature stood out regardless of age.

His eyes were wide open, full of grievances.

He looked bewildered, yet his unwavering gaze was directed at me.

“…”

Without a doubt, it was me he was looking at.

The question was.

‘…What the heck is that?’

So ultimately, what’s the deal with this kid?

There’s no way this could actually be my past self.

What on earth could lead a child like him to be here?

And sitting on Nangong Bi-ah’s lap, no less.

“…”

“…”

For a moment, we stared silently into each other’s eyes.

A few seconds later, the little one, who had been nestled in her arms, suddenly made a move.

He climbed down gracefully from Nangong Bi-ah’s embrace.

“…Ah…”

Once he left her embrace, she let out a small sound.

Could it be I’m imagining it, or was there a hint of regret in her expression?

The child landed softly on the floor, his eyes fixed steadily on me as he walked over unhurriedly.

As he approached, it hit me hard. His demeanor was downright cutthroat.

At least he wasn’t immediately off-putting due to his young age, but he definitely didn’t seem like a friendly sort.

He walked right up to me and…

Thud.

“…?”

Out of nowhere, he wrapped his little arms around my leg.

Thanks to my growth spurt, he only managed to cling to my leg.

“What now?”

Just as I was taken aback by the unexpected embrace,

“…Dad.”

The little tyke repeated the same title from earlier.

Really, what the heck was going on? I instinctively tried to pry him off.

Woo Hyeok.

“…!”

The moment we made contact, I felt a strange vibration near my heart.

A brief tremor—a faint resonance that immediately opened my eyes wide.

‘Ah.’

Now, I understood. The mystery of this odd little kid.

What’s going on here…?

“Y-You-“

Realizing it, I tried to say something about him quickly, but—

“…Dad? Did you just say Dad?”

“Seriously, Dad?”

“…If you’re calling me Dad… how old are you?”

“That’s impressive. Gu Gongja, you’re a lot more of a man than I expected. Well, a man should be like this… Um, sister, don’t look at me like that.”

“…”

I had to clench my mouth shut at all the voices flooding in around me.

Lifting my gaze from the kid, I looked ahead.

Each and every one of them was staring right at me.

Especially the looks in their eyes were outrageous.

Shock? Sure, but those glare-inducing expressions were downright terrifying.

“Dad…? Is it really Dad…?”

Especially Moyong Hi-ah’s gaze was something else entirely.

Her back-and-forth looks between the kid and me shifted from suspicion to conviction.

Seeing that, I let out a deep sigh.

“What on earth are you all thinking?”

I could tell they were making some bizarre misunderstanding, but it was so ridiculous I couldn’t form coherent words.

“That’s not it.”

Should I clarify this? Those faces suggested that it might be more perilous not to.

“Isn’t it?”

“Of course not. Do you actually think that makes sense?”

How old am I? Why would I be anyone’s dad?

And then there’s the fact that—

“Just look at the kid’s age.”

He had to be six years old at the very least, probably not ten.

Calculating that alongside my age, it just didn’t add up.

“What, am I supposed to be having kids at this age? There’s no way a kid this big would exist.”

Even if it wasn’t technically my kid. Still, that much is clear.

It’s been, what, at least five years since then? Back then…

‘That’s when I was still roughing it out.’

It was back when I didn’t have time to plan properly after my rebirth.

Most of that time was spent training, so where the heck would I have had a child?

‘If we’re going by age, I should have had a kid a long time ago.’

That counts the last life as well.

This life was different.

‘Honestly, it is already late for marriage.’

Even if I’d married by now, it should have been earlier.

If I had a kid, I definitely should have had them by now.

But avoiding that was all I had been doing.

‘There’s still way too much I need to get done; how could I think of marriage?’

Marriage and having kids are both a path to increase vulnerabilities and responsibilities I’m not interested in pursuing right now.

With that rationale, I kept pushing it off.

“Are you really believing such nonsense?”

Whether they didn’t grasp the situation or not, their expressions remained full of doubt.

Honestly, I couldn’t really blame them for thinking that way.

“…But, anyone can see…”

“Too… similar, right?”

“Plus, he said Dad, didn’t he?”

“…”

It was an irrefutable observation.

If I see it, it’s the same, so how would they perceive it?

Moreover, for him to cling to me and call me Dad—how could anyone not begin to believe it, no matter how absurd the situation seemed?

Still,

“Anyway, he’s not my kid. No way!”

That was all I could feel right about saying.

‘Damn it. If something was off, I wouldn’t feel so aggrieved.’

I’d been living a life of integrity—forcibly clean, I might add.

In a previous life, maybe, but in this one, my record was spotless.

As I expressed my pent-up frustration, Moyong Hi-ah, with a thoroughly creased expression, approached me.

“So, who is this child?”

“…First, explain it to me. Why is he here?”

“Judging by your reaction, it seems you know this child.”

“…”

I swallowed dryly at Moyong Hi-ah’s statement.

Should I just pretend I don’t know? But that’s out of the question.

‘If I say I don’t know, that would complicate things.’

The resemblance is flagrant, and I’m clearly aware of who he is.

While I had questions about how he ended up looking like this, ignoring it here would be the worst move.

As I hesitated to bring up how I knew,

Moyong Hi-ah, observing me silently, continued in a cold tone.

“Gu Gongja was discovered in your residence by Sword Dance Hero. They say he was found sleeping naked.”

“What?”

He was found in my residence? By Nangong Bi-ah?

I raised my brows in suspicion.

I bet it was around the time I fainted from absorbing energy, but why was she in my room?

Peering at Nangong Bi-ah with a puzzled expression, she averted her gaze. Could it be she had something to hide?

Should I ask her why she went in there? But it was too late, for Moyong Hi-ah chimed in first.

“For now, we dressed him, but he keeps asking for you. And it’s obvious….”

He looks just like you.

That was an undeniable fact.

“…So they all thought he was mine and gathered here?”

“Well, it’s more like they felt the need to verify.”

“Verify? You had a feeling; that’s why you confirmed it.”

You basically thought he was mine, didn’t you?

Even now, that’s evident. No matter how many times I denied it, not a single face showed doubt.

The suspicion hadn’t lifted an iota, and that expression was blatant as Moyong Hi-ah turned to me with a questioning look.

“Is he really not your child?”

“Seriously, he isn’t!”

I held back a sigh and rubbed my temples.

Annoyance was slowly creeping in.

“I get why he looks like me… but he cannot possibly be mine.”

As I tried to clarify again,

A soft tug on my pant leg caught my attention.

What is it?

I glanced down to see the little one pulling at my clothes.

“What’s the matter?”

As if asking that made him change, the child’s expression melted into one of woe.

“…Ah… Dad…”

His eyes began to wrinkle, and a sorrowful look overtook his face.

What in the world was that expression…?

“Ah, no… I’m not Dad…”

“…?”

It was like he was shaken to the core, and his eyes began to glisten with unshed tears.

Oh no, this could lead to a disaster!

“Hey! Hey! Don’t start crying!”

“Daddd!”

“Why are you calling me Dad! I’m not your Dad! Get away from me!?”

It felt like an impending disaster was looming over my head.

I quickly tried to yank him away, but naturally—

“…Trash.”

“Trash.”

“Gu Gongja, that’s mean…”

“…”

The atmosphere turned tense as the reactions around me shifted ominously.

To them, I seemed like a heartless scoundrel turning my back on my own child.

Perhaps the kid’s expression contributed to that conclusion as well.

As I desperately pondered how to navigate this mess, beads of cold sweat began to form on my brow.

“…Come here…”

Someone called to the boy.

It was Nangong Bi-ah, still seated calmly.

Once she beckoned, the child turned and walked over before climbing back into her embrace.

I stared at her, stunned as she effortlessly cradled him, looking almost accustomed to it, softly wrapping him in her arms before turning to glance at me.

“…”

Her expression remained neutral, merely watching me, but I felt it was like she was silently demanding an explanation.

‘Given the circumstances, what could I even say?’

There was only one thing I could utter in response to such a gaze.

“I’ll say it again, I’m not his dad.”

“Not your…?”

“Right. Absolutely not. I am not that kid’s dad….”

“…Got it…”

“Huh?”

The moment Nangong Bi-ah nodded in response, I was struck silent again.

Without further ado, she resumed fussing over the child, gently brushing back his hair and patting his back.

As she calmed the child, others exchanged incredulous glances at one another.

Particularly, Moyong Hi-ah’s expression seemed mixed—a bit furious, and a bit exasperated.

From where I was standing, it seemed to be a combination of both.

“Sword Dance Hero…”

Eventually, Moyong Hi-ah called out to Nangong Bi-ah.

“Is that all?”

“…?”

Nangong Bi-ah cocked her head curiously, clearly unsure of what was being asked.

“…What do you mean…?”

“Is that all you’re going to ask?”

“…Uh….”

She nodded simply before continuing,

“…He said he’s not the kid’s dad…”

I said I’m not.

It seemed that was enough for her. Meanwhile, Moyong Hi-ah still seemed baffled by Nangong Bi-ah’s understanding of things.

“You’re just going to believe him like that?”

“…Yes…”

“Seriously, why are you so quick to trust…”

“Moyong.”

“…”

The moment she called Moyong Hi-ah’s name, it fell silent.

Honestly, I found it rather surprising.

Nangong Bi-ah rarely spoke someone’s name.

“Why’d you suddenly…?”

“You already know.”

“What do you mean?”

“He said he’s not. Then that must mean he isn’t. At least regarding this matter, that’s already… you know.”

“…”

With her definitive words, Moyong Hi-ah fell entirely silent.

I had thought she’d put up a logical argument, but she said nothing in response.

Clenching her delicate fist, she appeared to have much to say but ultimately held it all back.

Could it be she was acknowledging that?

Tap.

Tap.

The only sound that filled the room was the gentle patting of the child’s back.

As an unnatural silence hung in the air,

“…So, what’s the deal with this kid?”

Moyong Hi-ah turned to me once more, asking.

“Uh…?”

“…He’s not Gu Gongja’s child. He was in your residence, looks just like you, and you know him. So what is he?”

“…”

I swallowed hard at Moyong Hi-ah’s question.

While it’s undeniable, it felt like I still needed to provide an explanation.

Indeed, it would be weirder to let it slide without addressing it.

That’s right.

I had to explain.

But…

‘How do I explain this?’

The child embraced by Nangong Bi-ah.

No, pondering over that, I felt more confused than ever.

‘Why did this kid suddenly end up like this?’

A terrible headache threatened to explode.

Yes, that kid was someone I knew.

Why he looked like my younger self and why that form ended up in my residence remained a mystery.

However, one thing was for sure.

That kid was definitely someone familiar from my past.

In the early days, I should have recognized him immediately, but his changed appearance threw me off and made it hard to see right away.

The identity of this child was none other than…

‘Tolly, that little runt…’

He was Tolly.

The Red Demon Beast I hunted years ago in Sichuan.

Born from the energy of my Demon Stone.

He started as a small serpent, but over time, he grew larger and morphed into a ferocious-looking beast.

If his growth was linked to mine, then as I grew stronger, he transformed more dramatically.

Lately, he had grown to an enormous size—so much so that I couldn’t harbor him.

That much was clear.

But what puzzled me was—

‘Why has he taken on such a form?’

The most pressing question was that now he appeared not as a demon beast but as a human.

It made me wonder if he truly was Tolly.

‘Not possible.’

He was undoubtedly a being entwined with me,

and in this moment, I still felt that link to my heart thrumming the same way.

That child is Tolly. No doubt about it.

Yet, how did the colossal beast morph into this shape?

The answer that arose was immediate.

‘Could it be because of me again?’

As Tolly’s appearance changed as I matured, it followed that this form was likely due to some transformation I underwent.

Right after fainting from the energy absorption. My body was in a major state of flux, so it was the only conceivable cause I could think of.

Something shifted, and it triggered Tolly’s transformation into this human form. I believed that was the reasonable conclusion.

If so, why did he choose to look so much like my younger self?

‘Could it be due to my energy?’

Given that he was a being generated from my essence, it’s a logical explanation.

Thus, interpreting it this way could mean..

‘…Could it be I have a kid, in a sense?’

If we were to put it that way, it could be argued he was my child.

‘…However, claiming him as my son feels absurd.’

The issue lay in how recognizing that outright could create problems.

“Gu Gongja.”

“…”

They were looking at me with eyes demanding an explanation.

How the hell should I get out of this tight spot?

Should I just concede?

‘Ah, not a chance.’

Even if I seemed foolish, conceding this would lead to my demise.

Ah.

Wait.

‘Just be brazen about it?’

Yes, Tolly is mine. What’s any of your business? We’re not that intimately associated, are we?

It’s not like I didn’t mention it because you didn’t ask.

But pushing all that bravado might swell into a larger problem.

‘…This is… a hard no.’

Logically, it makes sense, but my gut was trying to yank me down by the belt and shout at me to stop.

The moment I utter that phrase, it’ll be game over.

‘So what should I do….’

As I pondered the conundrum multiple times within seconds,

“Ah.”

A thought brushed through my mind.

“Gu Gongja? What did you say?”

“He’s my younger brother.”

“What?”

At that abrupt declaration, Moyong Hi-ah went wide-eyed.

She had a look that said she must have misheard.

“What did you just say…?”

“I said he’s my younger brother. This kid. He’s my brother.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Exactly. I’m not this kid’s dad.”

I pointed to myself and made a point.

Then pointed at Tolly, too.

“Our father is his dad.”

Crash!

“Eh?”

A sound of breaking glass resonated through the air. I turned around.

There it was.

“…Oh.”

Bits of shattered drinkware lay scattered on the floor.

And there stood—

“…Lady Mi?”

Lady Mi stood there, stiff as a board.

 

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