Chapter 20

“Order number 100, your hamburger set is ready!”

“Mom, mom! Our order is ready!”

“Oh, really?”

I brought over the hamburger set the staff placed on the table. On the tray were two delicious hamburgers and some fries. And, thinking of health, I had ordered zero cola. It was a perfect meal.

I had heard somewhere that hamburgers are surprisingly healthy if you exclude the fries. After all, hamburgers have a lot of vegetables. With that thought, I sat down at the table with Ha-yeon. Ha-yeon skillfully poured all the fries into one spot.

Then she squeezed out a packet of ketchup. Even without me saying anything, Ha-yeon handled it well. Sometimes it felt like our roles were reversed. Clearly, I was the protector…

“Mom, let’s eat Hambugi!”

“Uh… yeah, let’s eat Hambugi!”

After unwrapping the hamburger, I started eating the burger inside. It felt like the size of the hamburger was shrinking over time. Hamburgers are cheaper compared to other foods, but I swear they weren’t this small a few years ago…

It felt like they were reducing the contents while keeping the price the same, like ice cream. Of course, it was probably just my imagination.

And with the terrifying rise in prices, hamburgers were a bargain compared to other foods. For 7,000 won, you could get a hearty meal. Back in the day, there was a saying, “Let’s eat a hearty bowl of soup~,” but now that soup costs over 10,000 won per bowl. The price hike was insane.

On the other hand, if you avoided the expensive hamburgers and stuck to reasonably priced ones, you could get a decent meal. Plus, if you used coupons from apps, it was a steal. It was like magic, solving a meal at an unbelievable price.

“Is it delicious, Ha-yeon?”

“Yeah. It’s super delicious!”

Feeling a bit playful, I put on a serious face and asked.

“Is it better than the food Mom makes?”

Ha-yeon looked flustered by my question, hesitating with an ambiguous expression. Then, with a determined look, she said.

“No! Mom’s food is the best in the world!”

“Ha-yeon, you saying that makes me so touched!”

“Hehe!”

Even though it was lip service from Ha-yeon, I was still satisfied. I enjoyed eating the hamburger while chatting with Ha-yeon. Watching her talk so lively made me feel like I was taking good care of her. If I hadn’t picked her up from the ruins, Ha-yeon would have had an unsatisfying childhood.

According to the novel’s description, the time she spent in the orphanage was the worst nightmare of her life.

Since she hadn’t awakened, she would have had the strength of an ordinary person. Plus, the other girls her age disliked her. So, Ha-yeon had no one to rely on. The orphanage teachers, working for meager pay, didn’t care about the children.

They just worked and took their money.

I hated the thought of Ha-yeon’s future, so I was doing my best to raise her. Thankfully, Ha-yeon seemed to like it. At least, I made sure to provide her with things that made her happy, even if it meant sacrificing my own joys.

It was the virtue of compromise.

At that moment, I became interested in the robot doll Ha-yeon was controlling. It was a toy that came with the hamburger set. Though it was just a random toy the staff gave out, it looked like a great toy to me.

But asking Ha-yeon for it would undermine my authority as a mom. I didn’t want Ha-yeon to know that I liked toys. But Ha-yeon looked at me and said.

“Mom, do you want the toy?”

“Huh?”

“This one’s not great!”

And with that, Ha-yeon handed me the toy. I was taken aback but felt quite happy. It was a toy I had taken a liking to.

After finishing our hamburgers, we headed back home.

—

[Any bad mom who flirts with other women should be locked up in prison.]

I woke up in prison. I was sure I had fallen asleep hugging Ha-yeon in bed today… but I ended up in this strange place. I pressed close to the cold prison bars.

There was no one around. I wanted to open the prison and get out, but I didn’t have the key. Shaking the bars, I called out.

“Is anyone there?”

My voice just echoed in the prison. But for a prison, there were oddly many fancy things. Or should I even call this a prison?

*Creak—*

The heavy iron door opened with a loud sound. I looked at the person entering. Who on earth had locked me up here?

But the face looked strangely familiar.

“Ha-yeon…?”

It was as if Ha-yeon had grown up into an adult. She looked like the kind of woman you’d imagine Ha-yeon becoming in ten years.

A stunningly beautiful woman, more so than any other beauty, approached the prison where I was locked up. I tried to calm my pounding heart as I watched her. Her face was unmistakably Ha-yeon’s. If Ha-yeon grew up, she would look just like this woman.

“Mom…”

My thoughts were confirmed. From her voice to her appearance, it had to be Ha-yeon. I looked at her and said.

“It’s you, Ha-yeon! Ha-yeon, can you get me out of here?”

“Mom…”

But Ha-yeon didn’t listen to me. She just kept calling me “Mom.” Her demeanor made me slightly uneasy. Could it be that Ha-yeon had created this prison? Ha-yeon looked at me and said.

“Mom, you’ve been charming those vixens… This is your problem…”

“Wh-what are you talking about?”

“Mom, you have to live with me in this prison forever.”

Live in this prison forever? That made no sense. I broke into a cold sweat and looked at Ha-yeon.

“Ha… Ha-yeon, stop joking and get me out!”

“No.”

“Ha-yeon!!!”

Ha-yeon didn’t listen to me until the end, just kept staring at me. Overwhelmed by her gaze, I couldn’t say anything more. Ha-yeon fumbled for a key and opened the prison bars.

So, everything she said earlier was a lie. She couldn’t possibly leave me here. After all, I was the mom who raised her.

“Ah!”

But once inside the prison, Ha-yeon laid me down on a bed. It was a bed too luxurious for a prison. I couldn’t focus on the bed’s appearance, though.

“Wh-what are you doing, Ha-yeon!”

Ha-yeon’s strength was monstrous. She held both my hands with one hand. I struggled to break free, but her strength overwhelmed me. I couldn’t move an inch. Ha-yeon looked at me and said.

“Mom… you’re cute.”

“Ha-yeon, no…!”

Ha-yeon’s face came closer. I couldn’t help but scream.

“Ahhh!”

I opened my eyes to find myself on a familiar bed.

“Huff… huff…”

I sat up and looked around. It was the bed Ha-yeon and I had bought from the furniture store. Next to me, Ha-yeon was sound asleep. So, it was just a dream. A nightmare-like dream.

Ha-yeon would never do such a thing. She was my cute and lovely child.

I gently stroked Ha-yeon’s head.

“Mom…?”

Ha-yeon, awakened by my touch, spoke in a sleepy voice. I thought to myself that the events of the dream would never happen.

Thinking about it, Ha-yeon would never lock me up in prison. She was such a kind and adorable child.

I lay back down on the bed. Holding Ha-yeon close, I felt her warmth. As always, Ha-yeon smelled like a baby. That familiar scent of baby formula. It was sweet.

Ha-yeon, perhaps sleep-talking, snuggled deeper into my arms. I held her tighter. We were each other’s support. I was supposed to be the protector, but I was lacking.

Still, I was doing my best not to be a burden to Ha-yeon. After all, as a mom, I shouldn’t be a hindrance to her.