“I hope this is the right room.”
I murmured as I held onto the doorknob.
The number of rooms I had opened so far in search of Reina totaled eight.
The results of opening those eight rooms were all misses.
At first, I thought I would find her quickly. However, I had to retract that thought shortly after.
This building had far more rooms than I had expected. It was also much larger.
‘I should have just asked for Reina’s location.’
Regret surged through me every time I looked at an empty room. The thought of going back to ask crossed my mind.
But by now, it was too late, and a sense of determination to find her myself had taken hold of me.
In the end, I had no choice but to wander around this vast place until I found Reina.
And so, I continued opening doors, roaming through this labyrinth. Now, this was the ninth room.
‘Please, let her be here…!’
With that silent prayer, I carefully opened the door. A faint noise accompanied the door’s opening, and I stepped into the room with my lantern in hand.
Once inside, I began searching for her, shining the lantern around.
The room was unnaturally clean, as if it hadn’t been used for a long time.
A strange sense of unease crept in.
‘Could it be that she’s not here either…?’
With that thought, I pointed the lantern toward the bed and soon found myself smiling.
“I found you.”
On the bed lay a girl, eyes closed, soundly asleep.
She was so still that not even the faintest sound of her breathing could be heard.
She looked like a doll in slumber. Her barely audible breaths and doll-like delicate features accentuated that impression.
The moonlight streaming through the window bathed her, harmonizing with the atmosphere and creating a dreamy ambiance in the room.
The girl I had been searching for—Reina.
Holding the lantern, I approached her. Setting it on a nearby shelf, I cautiously sat on the edge of the bed where she lay.
Then, raising my hand, I gently brushed her hair.
My actions were careful, as if handling a delicate piece of art, infused with affection and tenderness. I kept my touch light, worried that I might wake her.
As I caressed her hair, a thought crossed my mind.
“How could that guy have a child like this?”
She’s so beautiful. It’s a thought I have every time I see her.
By now, I should have grown indifferent after seeing her so many times, but the thought only deepens each time I look at her.
Which makes me wonder—how could someone like the Demon King have a child like her?
Well, he was handsome, but it wasn’t the same kind of beauty. Looking at him felt like staring at a cold, lifeless corpse.
Unlike Reina, who exudes vibrancy and life.
Not that it matters now since I won’t see him again.
Lost in such thoughts, I stroked her hair for a while before withdrawing my hand.
‘Time to go.’
I had confirmed her condition and location, seen her sleeping peacefully.
As much as I wanted to watch her longer, I couldn’t disturb her rest, especially since she hadn’t been sleeping properly because of me. Waking her would be a problem.
So, I decided to leave.
Just as I stood up, I felt a tug on my clothing and heard a faint voice.
“Don’t go…”
“Yes?”
My heart sank for a moment, but I managed to calm myself and sat back down as she requested.
Turning my head toward the voice, I saw Reina, weakly opening her eyes and grabbing my sleeve.
She looked at me and asked.
“Why… are you leaving?”
Something felt off. Instinctively, I sensed that a wrong answer here could lead to trouble.
Hurriedly, I tried to explain myself.
“No, I—”
But before I could continue, her reaction was faster.
Tears welled up in her eyes before I could finish, and then—
“Why… Why… hic… did you… hic…”
She started sobbing, struggling to hold back her tears.
“Whahhhhh!”
Her cries filled the room as if the world were ending.
Caught off guard by her sudden outburst, all I could do was think:
‘What did I do wrong?’
All I could do was scramble to act, bewildered by the situation.
“Re… Reina?! Why are you crying all of a sudden? I’m sorry! I’m really sorry! Please, calm down!”
Why is this happening all of a sudden?!
“You thought I was leaving you?”
Nod, nod.
Reina wiped her tears with the back of her hand, nodding as she did.
I let out a deep sigh.
‘I can’t believe that’s why…’
At least I managed to stop her tears. It was thanks to my quick response when she began crying.
Repeating apologies and soothing words, I finally calmed her down.
Once more, I asked her.
“So, that’s why you’ve been clinging to me non-stop?”
Nod, nod.
She nodded again.
“Why…? Why would you think that?”
“Because everyone else did. Dad… Gawain… everyone… They all left suddenly. They said they’d come back… but they didn’t. And I thought… you’d do the same…”
She must have been anxious, worried that I might disappear like the others.
Looking at Reina’s tearful eyes, I pondered what to do.
Should I comfort her with sweet words?
Hmm… That didn’t seem like a good idea. Saying the wrong thing might backfire in this situation.
So, what could I do in this moment? Only one thing, it seemed.
I decided to remain silent. With her emotions running high, anything I said or did could worsen the situation.
I needed to wait until she calmed down enough to manage her feelings. Talking to her could wait until then.
And so, I waited for Reina to cool down and regain her composure.
The wait began to pay off slowly. Over time, her sobs grew less frequent, and the tears that had been pooling in her eyes disappeared.
Time truly seemed to be the best remedy.
With that thought, I waited a bit longer.
Eventually, the atmosphere in the room settled, and Reina appeared to have calmed down. It seemed safe to talk to her now.
I started thinking about how to approach her when—
“I want to make a wish to you right now,” Reina said, her eyes determined as she looked at me.
Her sudden declaration left me stunned. It was an abrupt request, and more than that, I couldn’t understand what she was talking about.
“A wish? All of a sudden, what do you mean by—”
Ah.
Could it be?
As I tried to ask her again, a memory from the past surfaced in my mind.
‘Is she talking about the promise we made when leaving the goblin cave?’
Indeed, we had made such a promise. I had forgotten, but she remembered.
A wish, huh…
It wasn’t a bad idea. It could serve as a starting point for conversation and might even strengthen our bond if I granted her wish.
It seemed like the perfect tool to break through the current situation.
The only concern was… what if Reina’s wish was outrageous?
But really, what’s the worst an 8-year-old could wish for?
Feeling reassured, I asked her lightly, “Alright. What kind of wish do you want to make?”
“Will you be my mom?”
And I froze.
…What?
For a moment, I thought I had misheard her and looked at Reina’s face again.
She was completely serious. There wasn’t a trace of mischief in her expression.
Faced with her earnest demeanor, all I could do was let out the occasional hum as if deeply contemplating her request.
I cautiously observed her reactions.
Every sound I made caused her body to flinch slightly.
“Hmmm…”
I looked at her again.
This time, she clasped her hands tightly together, gazing at me with anxious eyes.
Her gaze was overwhelming, almost as if she were trying to consume me with her eyes, desperately awaiting my answer.
Damn it. No matter how I looked at it, she wasn’t joking.
I averted my gaze and began to think.
Alright, let’s consider this.
Why would Reina say something like this?
I couldn’t figure it out. I had no idea why she would make such a request.
For her to ask me that, she must see me as a mother figure.
But what had I done to make her associate me with a mother?
What kind of person was her actual mother for her to see someone like me as a replacement?!
One thing was certain—I couldn’t grant this wish.
I’d never even been in a romantic relationship, let alone had children, and now I was supposed to become someone’s mother?
Where does such absurdity even come from? Is this the infamous “responsibility without pleasure”?
I felt bad for Reina, but I couldn’t be her mom. There’s no way I’d become a “virgin mom.”
“I’m sorry, Reina, but I don’t think I can be your mom.”
At my words, Reina’s expression visibly darkened. Her disappointment was written all over her face.
Seeing her crestfallen expression pained me, but I had no choice. No matter what, I couldn’t be her mom.
So I decided to approach it differently.
“But!”
I smiled warmly at Reina, who was visibly wilting before me, and presented my ingenious solution.
“I can be your big sister instead.”
Reina looked at me with a surprised expression, as if the idea had never occurred to her.
Taking advantage of her reaction, I added playfully, “Why a mom, though? It makes me sound older than I am.”
I figured “mom” was the only relationship she could think of, given her limited experience with people.
“Besides, wouldn’t a sister be better? Sisters can be even closer than moms sometimes.”
I finished my explanation and watched her reaction carefully, doing my best to suppress my rising nervousness.
Her reaction was simple—she stared at me blankly.
Not a single word.
‘Did I fail…?’
Anxiety crept in.
Without any response from her, it was impossible to tell how she’d taken my offer.
“Do you… not like it? If so, we can just forget this conversation…”
I asked cautiously.