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When I returned to the living room after putting Wendy to sleep, Park Se-hee had already fallen asleep.

I laid her down on the bed in the inner room where Wendy was sleeping, then went back to the empty living room and sat on the sofa.

My mind was a mess.

Wendy is like a daughter to me. I’ve treated her with the same care and affection as if she were my own adorable daughter.

And I always thought she saw me as a father figure too.

Sure, she’d sometimes blush or act shy around me, but I chalked it up to her naturally timid and reserved personality.

Even when she’d ask for physical affection or act cute, I thought it was just the behavior of a child craving love, so I indulged her.

But what if that wasn’t the case?

What if her shyness wasn’t because she was timid, but because she saw me as a man she liked?

What if her affectionate gestures weren’t those of a daughter, but of a girl trying to get me to see her as a woman?

What if she didn’t see me as a father, but as a man?

All the affectionate actions Wendy had shown me suddenly made sense.

“I’m such an idiot for only realizing this now….”

There was a time when Wendy asked me to kiss her as a reward.

Without considering her feelings, I just kissed her forehead, worried that she was being too precocious.

But if I’d thought about it, daughters don’t ask their fathers for kisses.

They might ask for a peck, but not a kiss….

Now that I think about it, when a subtle atmosphere formed between me and Park Se-hee earlier, Wendy suddenly interrupting must have been out of jealousy. No, it was definitely jealousy.

“Sigh….”

I’m worried about how I should see Wendy from now on.

The clumsy, tearful, and stuttering girl has become an irreplaceably precious presence in my heart.

And Wendy must see me as an irreplaceably precious presence too.

The problem is, while I see Wendy as ‘family,’ she sees me as a romantic partner… specifically, a ‘lover.’

I’m not sure when she started seeing me that way.

Not that it matters much now….

Thinking about the age difference between Wendy and me is really troubling.

In this world, it’s like being confessed to by an elementary school student.

Of course, from the perspective of the other world, it’s a bit different.

In that world, polygamy is allowed, and marriage before adulthood is common.

But that doesn’t mean it’s possible. It just means I wouldn’t be criticized for it.

Even if it’s absolutely impossible, if I were to become Wendy’s lover… or even marry her, I’d be called every name in the book.

My already tarnished reputation would get another label….

“I’d rather be called the Pig Count than the Lolicon Count….”

Just thinking about it is horrifying.

I can handle being called a pig, but being called a lolicon is unbearable.

Well, since we’re on the topic of marriage, I already have two people I plan to marry. Two, no less.

We haven’t gotten to the specifics yet, but I intend to marry both women. Of course, only after the issues between the two worlds are resolved.

But I made a joking promise to marry Wendy too.

Now that I know her feelings, that promise might not be a joke anymore.

At least there’s time before Wendy becomes an adult.

It’d be best if her feelings change by then….

Honestly, I can’t say for sure. I thought her feelings would change by then, but I’m not so sure now.

‘What if Wendy’s feelings don’t change….’

With that thought, I quietly sipped the remaining wine in my glass.

A bitter taste spread across my lips.

Just as Wendy had said.

*

“Then take care on your way back, Ji-hwan.”

“Yeah.”

The next morning, Wendy and I stood on the magic circle.

We’d already confirmed that Puring’s magic circle was working, so our main objective was accomplished.

Now it was time to go back.

“I’d love to go with you, but… I need to stay here to help you, right?”

“Yeah.”

Park Se-hee, the deputy, saw us off after finishing her morning preparations. Though it was just her living room.

“Thanks for everything.”

“No need to thank me. I’m just glad to see you alive and well.”

“It was good to see you after so long.”

“Hehe. Don’t worry. I’ll let you know if there’s any suspicious movement from President Park.”

Park Se-hee, now aware of my situation, agreed to keep an eye on Stella and President Park’s movements.

For me, having Park Se-hee was a blessing. She was like a spy who could gather information on Stella, which I couldn’t even approach.

Plus, I had something I wanted to say to her.

“Se-hee.”

“Yes?”

“Thank you for taking care of my sister all this time.”

After I disappeared, Park Se-hee took care of my younger sister, Sora, while searching for my whereabouts.

I couldn’t even begin to express my gratitude.

“No need to thank me. It was just the right thing to do.”

“Still, I’m grateful.”

“If you’re so grateful, don’t come empty-handed next time. Bring a gift when you visit next week.”

“Alright. I won’t forget.”

Having confirmed that I could travel between the two worlds, I decided to visit this place once a week using the magic circle.

From now on, I’d gather information on Stella through her and plan my next moves.

I’d love to threaten President Park, but that’s a last resort.

With Sora essentially held hostage, I need to avoid making any big moves.

“Wendy, be careful on your way back. It was nice meeting you.”

“Th-thank you… for the clothes….”

“If you’re grateful, can I pat your head once?”

“Huh?”

Gratitude deserves a reward. Give and take is Park Se-hee’s life philosophy.

“Y-yes! You can pat my head….”

“Really? Then I won’t hold back.”

“Haa….”

“Hehehe. So cute….”

Women just can’t resist cute things. Bella’s the same, and so is Park Se-hee.

After patting Wendy’s head to her heart’s content, Se-hee glanced at the clock and gasped.

“Ah?! It’s already this late… I should get going to work.”

“Yeah. Take care.”

“You take care too, Ji-hwan! Wendy too!”

“Y-yes! Th-thank you for everything!”

Waving her hand, Park Se-hee hurried out the door to start her workday.

She looked every bit the busy career woman of modern society.

Seeing her like that made the crisis in my world and the players’ invasion feel like distant, unreal stories.

“Let’s head back too.”

“Yes!”

Wendy energetically crouched down and channeled magic into the magic circle drawn on the floor. The patterns on the circle glowed brightly, activating it.

The space around us distorted. A dark, endless void appeared, connecting the two worlds.

It was a passage between the two worlds.

It was easy to lose your sense of direction here, but there was no risk of getting lost.

Beneath our feet was a path of light, as bright as the Milky Way, leading to the familiar world.

“Will you lead the way this time?”

“Yes, yes!”

Wendy confidently stepped onto the glowing path. But seeing the vast darkness outside the path, she seemed a bit scared and tried not to look down.

Stepping outside the path wouldn’t make you fall, but seeing Wendy nervously tiptoeing made it hard for me to watch.

“Just hold my hand.”

“Huh?!”

I grabbed Wendy’s startled hand and led the way. Her unease was palpable through our linked hands.

“I-I’m fine…!”

“I’m not.”

“I’m really fine….”

“I’m really not.”

I expected Wendy to throw a tantrum, like a teenage daughter.

But my expectations were completely off.

“Yes…. Th-then I’ll trust you and follow, Count….”

“……”

Why are you looking at me like that?

Why are you looking at me with such adoring eyes?

I’m not your prince….

Why are you looking at me like I’m someone you love?

It seems I wasn’t mistaken.

Looking at her now, it’s not shyness—it’s complete infatuation.

I deliberately avoided looking at Wendy’s face and kept walking forward.

I don’t know how long I can keep ignoring it, but for now, I want to pretend I don’t notice.

I can’t face those innocent eyes head-on.

Right. Let’s think about something else.

It’s a relief that traveling between worlds is possible.

If we can’t repel the players’ invasion, we can always retreat here.

Wait, no. It might be better to send our fighting forces here from the start.

But with the current size of the magic circle, that’s impossible. If we expand it to the size of a gate, we could move a lot of people. I’ll have to talk to Puring, Albert, and Myohail…. Hmm. It should work out.

As I thought about future plans, we walked step by step.

“C-Count!”

“?!”

Suddenly, Wendy’s sharp cry snapped me back to reality.

Our destination came into view.

A bright, glowing door.

But someone was standing in front of it.

“Long time no see, loser.”

“You….”

It was a voice I hadn’t heard in a long time.

A girl with golden hair and blue eyes, looking almost too noble to be human… Michaela was there.

To me, she was just a brat with no manners. Nothing more, nothing less.

I couldn’t guess why she’d suddenly appeared before me.

It had been a long time since I last saw her.

The last time was when she pulled me out of hell.

Despite calling herself the Absolute God, she couldn’t even use her full power outside of ‘Paradise’ or the gods’ domain. But she was still a god.

It was rare for her to show up like this, so I was a bit tense.

“…What do you want from me?”

“I have a request….”

“?”

“Take me….”

But her response completely shattered my tension.

“Take me to the outside world toooo!”

Huh?

 

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