========================================="But Mommy is a princess, not a prince!"
At Seol-ah's serious voice, Jian stared at the child with a blank expression.
Just then, the sound of a chuckle reached Jian's ears.
And then, Taejun swooped Seol-ah up into his arms.
"Alright, what do I have to do?"
Seol-ah, excited in Taejun's arms, was lost in explaining the dance moves.
Taejun, still holding Seol-ah, walked toward the study.
Jian hurried to catch up to them and grabbed the collar of Taejun's shirt.
"Will you be okay?"
"I'm fine."
Taejun replied curtly and entered the study.
But upon hearing what Seol-ah asked for next, he was so flustered he forgot to control his expression.
After playing along with Seol-ah for a while, Taejun plopped down into his desk chair. Judging by his expression, it seemed Seol-ah's demands had completely drained him.
"Ah, Mister! Not yet!"
Seol-ah approached the chair Taejun was sitting in and whined.
‘How did I end up in this situation?’
Taejun's reason for playing along with Seol-ah wasn't anything grand. It was simply because this was the daughter Heo Jian doted on so much. That was all.
But he never expected to be so completely wrapped around the child's finger.
"Mister, I have to do it next week!"
"..."
"Just a little, a little more, please!"
He was sure he'd told her to be quiet the day she came to this house. It seemed the child had already completely forgotten that memory.
Seol-ah's lips showed signs of moving again.
Taejun hurriedly grabbed the child.
"Mister! Woah!"
"Let's be quiet for a moment."
Lifting the child, Taejun sat her on his lap and placed a hand on her head.
The child, who had been chattering away just a moment ago, became strangely quiet after sitting on Taejun's lap.
Thanks to that, Taejun could close his eyes and replenish the energy the child had drained from him.
While Taejun was recharging, Seol-ah was lost in thought with a serious expression.
‘Why... why does the Mister smell the same as Mommy?’
Today, too, Seol-ah had smelled the same scent in Taejun's arms that she smelled when her mother held her. Seol-ah wanted to know why.
Seol-ah stared intently at Taejun.
Taejun, who had his eyes closed, felt the child's gaze fixed on him and peeked open his eyes.
Sure enough, the child was looking at him with a serious expression.
Taejun closed his eyes again and said quietly.
"Why?"
"Mister. Why do you smell like my mommy?"
At the child's unexpected question, Taejun's eyes flew open.
"What?"
"It's strange, but you smell the same as Mommy. Why is that?"
A scent? It was Taejun who was flustered by the child's incomprehensible words.
"Are you... by any chance, my daddy?"
Seol-ah stared intently at Taejun.
Taejun looked at the child for a moment before saying flatly.
"Well, I don't think so."
"Hmph..."
At Taejun's firm answer, Seol-ah pouted, her disappointment clear on her face.
Watching her, Taejun let out a small laugh without realizing it.
As he laughed, his hand moved toward Seol-ah's head before he was even aware of it.
Just as Taejun's hand was about to stroke Seol-ah's hair...
"In that case, can't you become Seol-ah's daddy now?"
Freeze. Taejun's hand stopped in mid-air.
While he was flustered, Seol-ah lifted her head and met his gaze.
Does this child even know what she's saying? Looking into her innocent eyes, it seemed she didn't.
Seol-ah seemed to be pondering something seriously, then slowly opened her mouth.
"Mister, I want to sleep with Mommy at night. Because it's scary when I wake up and she's not there."
"And?"
Seol-ah clenched both her fists as if making a firm resolution and added.
"But I can give Mommy to you, Mister. I'll endure it for a few days!"
"Why?"
"I like the Mister who smells the same as Mommy."
The moment he heard the child's words, Taejun felt his heart drop. His sunken heart suddenly began to tingle.
What is this feeling?
Taejun cleared his throat unnecessarily, lowering the hand that was hovering over Seol-ah's head as he spoke.
"What about... that man you call Uncle and follow around?"
"Who? Uncle Kang Jae?"
"Yes. What does he smell like?"
Seol-ah seemed to be lost in thought for a moment. To Taejun, that brief moment the child was thinking felt like a long time.
If the child said she smelled the same scent on Kang Jae, how would I feel? Would I be angry? Disappointed?
Just as Taejun's emotions were about to stir, the child, who had been thinking hard, met his gaze.
"I don't know."
"What?"
At Seol-ah's answer, Taejun felt a bit let down. He was relieved it wasn't the answer he'd been worried about, but this was a separate issue. The vague answer was more confusing.
"Why is that?"
"I don't know. I've never thought about what Uncle Kang Jae smells like."
"So he doesn't smell the same as your mom?"
"No."
Seol-ah's answer to Taejun's question was firm.
"Uncle Kang Jae is an uncle."
At the child's words, cuttingly defining him as just an uncle, Taejun felt a sense of relief for some reason. Even as he felt relieved without realizing it, Taejun couldn't understand his own reaction.
Seol-ah stared at Taejun's silent face and then grinned.
"What, you don't know, Mister? An uncle and a daddy are different!"
"Huh?"
"Heehee, what, looks like the Mister doesn't know! Even Seol-ah knows!"
Seol-ah, seemingly pleased that she knew something Taejun didn't, giggled brightly.
Watching the child's bright laughter, Taejun felt his heart strangely lighten.
This time, Taejun placed his hand on the child's head and successfully stroked her hair. A foolish smile appeared on his face at the feel of the child's hair against his hand.
"So, when you asked me to be your daddy now, were you serious?"
"Yes!"
"And does your mom want that?"
At Taejun's question, Seol-ah's face fell with an 'oops' expression, and she pouted. Come to think of it, she hadn't considered her mom's feelings. Since it was about becoming her daddy, it seemed obvious that her mom's opinion was needed.
Seol-ah carefully searched her memory. But as she thought back, the child's brow furrowed slightly.
‘But why is Mommy scared of this Mister?’
Seol-ah had already seen through all of Jian's behavior. She had often witnessed the awkwardness between Jian and Taejun.
‘I like the Mister, so why is Mommy like that?’
She usually laughed and talked with Uncle Kang Jae, but she didn't think she'd ever seen her mom smile in front of the Mister.
Seol-ah liked Uncle Kang Jae. But she thought she liked the Mister more than Uncle Kang Jae, whom she had known for a long time. But the fact that her mom didn't seem to feel the same way bothered her.
‘Maybe... the Mister is mean to Mommy?’
With that thought, Seol-ah glanced at Taejun.
Taejun had been watching the child intently, and their eyes met immediately. The child put on a deliberately angry face and began to question him.
"Mister, did you fight with my mommy?"
"What?"
"It's weird! When she was at Grace, and when she's with Uncle Kang Jae or Aunt Kangji, she laughs a lot!"
"..."
"But I've never once seen her smile when she's with you."
Never once. Taejun's hand, which had been stroking Seol-ah's hair, stopped.
Seol-ah knocked Taejun's hand off her head and began to demand a clear answer.
"Why is that?"
"...How would I know that?"
Seol-ah jumped down from Taejun's lap. Then she put her hands on her hips and said with a stern expression.
"Find out why! That's your homework!"
Before Taejun could even react, Seol-ah quickly opened the study door. He thought she was leaving, but the child turned back for a moment and gave a shy smile.
"No Mommy for you today. She's sleeping with me!"
And with that, the child really did leave the room.
Watching her go, Taejun couldn't help but let out a small laugh.
But as he laughed, Taejun's brow quickly furrowed.
‘Why am I laughing?’
He himself was laughing, but he had no idea why.
The next day, when Taejun opened his eyes, Jian wasn't beside him.
Last night, Seol-ah had declared she would sleep with her mother, and it seemed she really had. Ever since bringing Jian to this house, he had shared a bed with her, save for a few days. It was a result achieved almost by force. The fresh realization that she wasn't beside him left a corner of his heart feeling empty.
Taejun rubbed his involuntarily furrowed brow as he got out of bed.
A short while later, as he was tying his necktie and leaving his room, he sensed bustling movement from the kitchen.
"Ah, you're awake?"
There was one more thing that had changed since Jian came to this house. Every morning, breakfast was prepared for him.
Taejun had always hated having people in his house. Therefore, aside from calling a cleaner a couple of times a week, he never let anyone in. Preparing his own meals at home was an easy task for Taejun, but he hadn't even done that much after she left.
"Have a bite before you go."
At Jian's voice, Taejun stopped in his tracks and looked at her.
Just a few weeks ago, there were times when he'd felt anxious if Jian wasn't by his side, yet found it hard to control the anger that surged up when she was actually near.
But perhaps it was because of what Seol-ah had said yesterday.
‘But I've never once seen her smile when she's with you.’
He felt like she used to force a smile in the past, but he didn't think he'd seen Jian smile once since she returned to the house.
Taejun quietly approached the table and sat down.
Seeing this, Jian sat down across from him.
"Yesterday, because of Seol-ah..."
"Try smiling."
Author: Donggeurami (Son Yoon-seo)
Publisher: Toonplus
Email: [email protected]
ISBN: 9791157738274
© Donggeurami (Son Yoon-seo), 2022
※ This e-book is published by <Toonplus> under an agreement with the copyright holder. Unauthorized copying and redistribution are prohibited. Violators may be held legally responsible.
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