Chapter 31

Seorin is the protagonist of this world.

And not just any ordinary protagonist, but a munchkin wielding overwhelming power.

Thus, the novel’s content focused more on her effortless victories rather than struggles or adversities. However, some bonehead writer decided, “We should add some inner conflict,” for no good reason.

So, Seorin was given the设定 of being strong yet lonely.

“Because of that, there were moments in the original where she acted all crumpled up.”

For example, hiding under desks and whining, buying tons of cute dolls, or deliberately playing adorable videos in bulk—things like that.

Despite trying to talk to people here and there to escape her loneliness, and reaching out to potential friends…

Thanks to some philosopher’s (probably fake) saying, “Longing is the emotion farthest from understanding,” she ended up only gaining followers or comrades, never true friends.

Anyway, worried about such a Seorin…

When I tried to bring her to Perseus’s Lair to cheer her up or prevent her from getting upset…

“Hae-un!”

Just as I wondered if my assumptions about her were correct…

The moment I entered the training ground, an energetic and lively Seorin came running toward me and started stretching my cheeks!

“Huh?”

Had her personality changed in such a short time?

Or had I misread the original novel?

Not knowing what to think while flailing around, a sudden realization struck me.

“Now that I think about it, she’s been like this since we first met… hasn’t she?”

While pondering this, with my cheek stretched unnaturally, I sat there dumbfounded. Somehow, I felt the reason for her change might have something to do with me.

“Could it be because I rushed to save her initially?”

In the original, even when Seorin pleaded for help, no one assisted her. But here, since I helped, maybe her personality shifted slightly?

Lost in thought, Seorin hugged both me and Chae-a, giggling happily as she spoke.

“So, why are you here? Could it be you came to see your older sister?”

To that question, I nodded and explained further.

“Yeah! And also because the Lair value was too high, so…”

“Really? You came to see me? Sister is so touched she might cry.”

I panicked watching Seorin pretend to cry, but she stopped teasing and continued talking with a smile.

“By the way, did you mean Perseus’s Lair?”

Nodding at her question, Seorin seemed to ponder for a bit, then checked the time before continuing.

“Hmm… Can we go in 10 minutes? I need to tidy up the training ground first.”

At that, I eagerly suggested helping her.

“I’ll help too!”

Remembering the promise of pocket money for helping, I enthusiastically volunteered. Seorin looked a little hesitant as she asked me,

“It’s gonna be tough. Are you sure you’re okay with it?”

“Yeah! We trained already!”

Recalling how I lifted and dropped pillows repeatedly in the early morning, I confidently declared this. Seeing my determination, Seorin smiled slightly, glanced at me, and said,

“If that’s the case, I guess I can trust you. Here, take care of it.”

She then placed Chae-a and me down below. Determined to clean thoroughly to satisfy Seorin, I ran off to pick up stray plastic bags.

“Chae-a loves treasure hunts too!”

Suddenly, Chae-a stealthily followed behind me, giggling. She squatted down, grabbed a red ketchup packet, and showed it to me excitedly.

“Chae-a likes shiny red things! So pretty!”

Indeed, it sparkled under the light reflecting off the ketchup packet. Finding Chae-a’s happiness over such small things adorable, I chuckled softly. Then Han Arin approached us quietly and spoke.

“Hasn’t the training ground been cleaned lately? The kids are picking up trash.”

Upon hearing this, a man in a suit startled and tried to approach us, but Han Arin waved him off with a gesture indicating he shouldn’t interrupt.

Feeling a bit scared, I hugged my tail and observed the situation. Suddenly, Chae-a turned to Han Arin with a pout.

“You’re trash too!”

This was the first time I’d seen Chae-a get so upset. Watching her stick out her lip made me worry, but Han Arin simply smiled at her.

“Of course what Chae-a picked up isn’t trash—it’s super precious treasure. What I meant was something else.”

“Really!?”

“Really. I don’t lie, you know.”

Hearing this, Chae-a stared at Han Arin for a moment before smiling brightly and nodding.

“Yeah! Cool!”

Thankfully, her anger dissipated. I sighed in relief while nibbling on my tail, when Chae-a slipped the ketchup packet into my pocket.

“This is for Hae-un! It’s Chae-a’s treasure!”

“Thank you.”

“Yeah!”

Chae-a grinned happily, delighted to have shared her treasure with me. Smiling at her, I resumed cleaning, but…

“Hae-un, I’m ready.”

Before I could finish cleaning, everything was done. Feeling utterly deflated, I watched as Chae-a continued picking things up earnestly, which rekindled my motivation. Just as I grabbed another piece of trash…

“Hae-un caught it!”

Seorin suddenly swooped in and lifted me up before I could collect all the trash. Startled, I looked at her as she took the trash from my hands.

“Let’s wash our hands and head out right away!”

Though disappointed, there was nothing I could do, so I slumped dejectedly. Seorin gently poked my cheeks, laughing softly. Not knowing why she found it amusing, but seeing her happy, I figured it was fine. Then Han Arin spoke up.

“I’ll take Chae-a.”

With that, she carefully picked up Chae-a, who had been clinging to the floor, and left.

*

How exactly should I describe this?

Simply put, Perseus’s Lair was a giant castle floating in the air. Of course, this is a simplified explanation. More specifically, it was a Gothic-style castle larger than an entire apartment complex.

Standing before this massive lair, big enough to comfortably house thousands of people, I gawked in awe. Perseus noticed my expression and smiled faintly.

“In my case, it grew naturally over a long time. Normally, they aren’t this large.”

Dumbfounded, I nodded absentmindedly. Then Perseus scooped me up gently and began speaking.

“Shall I give you a tour? Let’s start with the main hall.”

Did he mean the central part of the castle? As I admired each extravagantly expensive-looking piece of furniture, I couldn’t help but think how difficult it would be to clean and how fragile everything seemed. Still, I headed towards the main hall.

The moment I entered, my impression was: “It feels like a temple brought to life.” The breathtaking ambiance created by intricately carved white marble left me momentarily entranced. Suddenly, memories of my very first Lair surfaced, making me incredibly embarrassed.

… Just a desk with a hastily thrown blanket.

I recalled proudly showing off my Lair to others, thinking it was great at the time.

If I’d been lying in bed, I probably would’ve been kicking my legs wildly and beating the blanket. But since I was in Perseus’s arms, I tried to suppress my embarrassment, eventually curling up and covering my face.

“… Why are you doing that?”

Perseus’s confused voice reached my ears, but I lacked the mental space to respond. Instead, I trembled silently. Nearby, Seorin picked me up and explained on my behalf.

“Hae-un gets easily embarrassed, so she must feel shy.”

“Ah, is that so?”

Though the real reason wasn’t exactly that…

As long as I could hide my burning face, I didn’t care about anything else. Curling up tighter, I heard Han Arin chuckle nearby as she teased Perseus.

“Every time I see it, it seems pointless. Why not make it smaller and cozier like Hae-un’s instead of unnecessarily huge?”

Mentioning my Lair made my embarrassment worse. Desperately signaling her to stop, I shook my head, but…

“Oh yeah, you probably haven’t seen it, right? Such a pity you missed Hae-un’s Lair.”

Han Arin showed no intention of stopping, continuing to tease Perseus. In response, Perseus smirked and retorted.

“I apologize, but I’ve already seen it. After all, I was the one who recommended she build a Lair in the first place.”

“Huh?”

“You don’t need to know the details.”

“Wait, did you read some fairy tale or something? Your actions are so childish…”

Suddenly, Han Arin’s voice became inaudible.

Wondering why, I peeked slightly to see her mouth covered by a handkerchief. Feeling a bit awkward, I fidgeted nervously until Perseus removed the handkerchief and continued.

“It seems Cleaning Magic has activated.”

“… Is that so? There seems to be some error. Should I fix it?”

“…”

Due to the original portrayal of Han Arin as someone disinterested in others, I assumed she had no interpersonal relationships. Surprisingly, it seemed she had some connection with Perseus. Curious, I observed them when Perseus walked over to me and spoke.

“Feel free to explore as much as you like. Or, if you wish, you can visit anytime.”

Grateful for his kind words, I bowed deeply. Perseus looked at me, his lips twitching slightly, before speaking calmly.

“If anything catches your eye, feel free to take it. To me, these things hold no meaning.”

At this, Chae-a, who had been standing below, ran up and tugged on Perseus’s clothes.

“Chae-a too…”

“Of course, Chae-a, if there’s anything you want to take, go ahead.”

“Thank you!”

With that, Chae-a immediately prostrated herself on the ground, mimicking my bow perfectly before springing up and running off somewhere. Wondering where she went, I watched as she suddenly caught a ladybug hidden in an elegant flowerpot.

“Ant friend! Love ladybugs!”

“Lady Lady!”

At the sound, a single ant perched on Chae-a’s shoulder jumped out, frantically waving its antennae and dancing around. Watching this scene, I felt glad that Chae-a had gained a new friend.

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