The World’s Strongest Daughter.

I unconsciously swallowed saliva, overwhelmed by the heavy air.

Jeong Nan-do suspects my identity.

In a situation where everything has already been revealed, recklessly lying is like digging my own grave.

Then, should I reveal my identity or not…

I want to reveal everything and receive Jeong Nan-do’s help.

Although he didn’t really like ‘me’ when I was alive, we weren’t on bad terms.

He won’t heartlessly abandon me.

But there are too many obstacles.

There’s the issue of convincing him about how I came back to life, and above all, the newly added item in the ‘message’ made me hesitate.

If my identity is revealed, I die. There’s no such unreasonable demand.

“…Yeon-hee and So-yeon are like my family. If you have no intention of revealing your identity, I can’t leave you alone either.”

Watching Jeong Nan-do pressuring me while scattering mana, I started to get a bit anxious.

Even if he’s called a ‘tiger with loose teeth,’ he was called the strongest among the first-generation hunters.

The person who raised the ‘Sword Emperess.’ With my current self, it will be difficult to even endure.

“…”

At that moment, I was desperately wracking my brain to find a way out.

Suddenly, the phrase written in the ‘message’ flashed through my mind.

[ Make Min So-yeon the world’s strongest. *Failure will result in world destruction ]
└ Do not let Min So-yeon find out your identity. *Failure will result in ‘death.’

Both conditions pointed to Min So-yeon.

Ah…!

Due to the lack of leeway, I missed a big clue until now.

The ‘message’ only talks about Min So-yeon.

In other words, it doesn’t apply to Jeong Nan-do.

It means there’s no problem if I reveal my identity to him.

Of course, it could be my speculation.

“Elder.”

But you don’t know until you try.

“…You called me a coward, right?”

I slowly drew mana and spoke confidently.

“A real coward doesn’t fight or anything like that.”

It was weak mana compared to Jeong Nan-do, but it was enough to reverse the mood.

“And… what I do is not assistance, but ‘external help.'”

Then Jeong Nan-do’s eyes widened and he began to waver.

“…Y-you…!”

He must have noticed by now.

I gave him a slight smile and fired the final blow.

“Does someone who hasn’t even married understand my heart?”

***

“…Are you telling me to believe that now?”

Jeong Nan-do said with a hollow laugh as if it were absurd.

“If you don’t believe me, should I show you evidence?”

“No, even if there is, I don’t want to believe it. To think a thief like you came back to life…”

“…Yeon-hee confessed first…”

“So, is there anything you’re better at than Yeon-hee?”

I was at a loss for words.

Cowardly competing with facts.

Jeong Nan-do moistened his mouth with newly brewed tea and spoke somewhat relievedly.

“Anyway… it’s fortunate that you came back alive. Now I can feel relieved too.”

And he let out a heavy sigh and slightly put down the teacup.

He’s fortunate that I came back to life. Did something happen in the meantime?

“…What do you mean?”

Jeong Nan-do looked at the teacup with somewhat sorrowful eyes and slowly spoke.

“…I see, you don’t know anything. Yes, where should I start…”

3 years ago.

While I was carrying out a mission with my colleague, I was suddenly attacked by a monster that appeared and died.

It was only a mission to handle a B-grade gate, so I let my wife rest, but an S-grade monster appeared that day of all days.

It was impossible for me, an A-rank, and my colleague, who was on their final mission for promotion to A-rank, to block it.

After I died like that,

My wife, who rushed to the scene in a hurry, dealt with the monster… and found me.

“…Are you saying Yeon-hee did?”

Jeong Nan-do only quietly nodded.

After finding me like that, my wife didn’t believe it at first.

Saying it couldn’t be, she hugged my crushed corpse and endlessly shed tears.

High-ranking officials who belatedly heard the news came to the scene to comfort her, but…

“…That guy died.”

The Hunter Association president died to my blind wife’s anger.

“…Excuse me?”

Yeonhee killed someone! What the heck is this…

I was greatly shocked by the news that my wife committed murder.

She was a virtuous woman to the point of being unparalleled.

When she was young, she was a bit rash, but she would never kill someone.

“…Yeon-hee killed someone… no, the association president clearly died of an illness…”

Since I searched for a lot of information after being resurrected, I knew that the association president at the time had died.

But…

“That’s how it is to the public. How could they announce to the world that the ‘Sword Emperess’ killed the association president?”

In the end, considering public opinion, they covered up the incident.

After killing the association president, my wife disappeared with my corpse, and it was only after a long time that she sent news of her retirement…

Huh? Wait.

Come to think of it, even when I was busily searching for information, I couldn’t find any information about my grave.

“Then where is my grave?”

“I don’t know either. Thanks to that, I couldn’t even visit your grave, geez…”

It’s probably buried in some private land.

“Anyway, after Yeonhee retired, I couldn’t meet her properly.”

Listening to Jeong Nan-do, I started to get a rough outline.

How difficult must it have been for my wife left alone and Min So-yeon who lost her father in a day?

Unfortunately, I can’t blame anyone.

It was my fault for not surviving and not being able to return to my family’s embrace…

Immersed in piercing sorrow, endlessly resenting my incompetent self.

Suddenly, a small question came to mind.

Why did Jeong Nan-do say he’s glad I came and can feel relieved now?

And why was Min So-yeon living like that?

I hurriedly raised my head and looked at Jeong Nan-do.

As if he knew what I would say, he looked at me with a sorrowful gaze.

“…Elder.”

Jeong Nan-do turned his head and slightly avoided my gaze.

“…Have you heard about So-yeon?”

There’s no way he doesn’t know.

There’s no way he doesn’t know what kind of environment Min So-yeon is living in and how.

Then why did Jeong Nan-do neglect the child who is like family?

What the hell is my wife doing, leaving the child in that state?

Jeong Nan-do quietly picked up the teacup and avoided my question.

At that moment… anxiety began to rise in a corner of my heart.

“…M-my wife… Ju Yeon-hee, what is she doing now…?”

Jeong Nan-do finished the tea that had already cooled in one gulp and slowly opened his mouth with a determined face.

“…She went into hiding. So…”

Went into hiding, then So-yeon is…!

“A-are you saying she abandoned So-yeon and went into hiding now!?”

No matter how much she was saddened by my death, does it make sense to neglect a growing child?

When I jumped up and raged, Jeong Nan-do hurriedly tried to calm me down.

“No matter what, how could she do that to such a young child…!”

“W-wait, calm down for a moment!”

“Do I look like I can calm down right now!! This woman…”

Then, Jeong Nan-do grabbed me and shouted.

“Min Seong-jae!!”

Min Seong-jae.

How long has it been since I heard ‘my’ name?

“I’m not done talking yet! Calm down a bit… and listen.”

At the unfamiliar call, my heated head cooled down.

“… I’m sorry.”

Jeong Nan-do brought a cigar and smoked it, saying let’s cool our heads and talk.

But as the pungent cigar scent brushed the tip of my nose, Min So-yeon’s smoking problem came to mind again.

What the… ha… endure it, endure…

I desperately held back my anger and waited for Jeong Nan-do’s words.

And…

“…Although she went into hiding, I found out where she is…”

I could finally find out my wife’s shocking whereabouts.

“…Are you saying she’s sick? Ju Yeon-hee is?”

That Ju Yeon-hee?

Ju Yeon-hee, who was called the world’s strongest, is sick.

Who on earth can make Ju Yeon-hee sick?

“To be precise… her heart is sick.”

Ah…

I let out a heavy sigh at Jeong Nan-do’s words.

Even Ju Yeon-hee, who would cut down any monster that appeared in an instant, had a tender heart as a woman.

I felt embarrassed for getting angry without knowing her heart.

According to Jeong Nan-do, Ju Yeon-hee built a small house in a remote mountain village in Gangwon-do and lives alone.

About a year ago, he sent people a few times after finding her whereabouts, but…

“…Her condition is not very good.”

Unable to get cooperation, they couldn’t even know about her health problems. She’s indifferent to life and death to the point of barely eating one meal for several days.

Her daily life is just sitting and looking out the window.

Like a terminally ill patient waiting for death, she lost the will to live.

I don’t know how many more shocks I have to endure before it ends.

Ju Yeon-hee, who lost her emotions, had no room to care for herself, so Min So-yeon ended up being abandoned.

It’s all the result of me dying.

But… I was resurrected.

I, Ju Yeon-hee’s husband and Min So-yeon’s dad, am alive like this.

Although I can’t reveal my identity to Min So-yeon, can’t I reveal my identity to Ju Yeon-hee?

Then her condition will improve, and Soyeon will also be able to receive her mother’s love!!

I quickly revealed the plan I had come up with to Jeong Nan-do.

Then…

“… It’s not bad, but I’m a bit skeptical. You can’t reveal your identity to So-yeon right now. Then what will you say to So-yeon?”

I ran into an obstacle I hadn’t even thought of.

As Jeong Nan-do said, I can’t reveal my identity to Min So-yeon.

I finally got close to So-yeon, but what would she think if she saw me with her mother?

It would be like a makjang drama.

Sighing repeatedly with a frustrated heart, Jeong Nan-do spoke slightly.

“Don’t be too discouraged. Since you’re alive like this, what can’t you do?”

“… That’s true, but…”

It’s a half-baked revival where I can’t do this or that.

When I lowered my head, dejected by the reality that I couldn’t do anything, Jeong Nan-do spoke to me once more.

“…Do you do some housework?”

***

Ju Yeon-hee’s POV

Rumble-

I woke up slightly at the sound of thunder outside the window.

When I turned my head slightly, heavy rain was pouring outside the window.

I like rain.

Because on rainy days, my husband doesn’t go out.

I slowly got up and approached the display cabinet on one side of the wall.

And from the dusty crevice of the display cabinet, I took out a single ring that was the only thing shining.

A dark blue diamond surrounded by a thin band.

I carefully put it on my left ring finger.

When I slightly spread my hand, an affectionate feeling arose as if I had become one with my husband.

Holding my left hand tightly as if handling a precious item, I took a small glass bottle from the display cabinet and headed to the window.

“…Look at this. It’s raining.”

Today, I started the day by showing my husband the window again.

Makjang- A stylistic, tonal, or narrative element in dramas that chooses to play up outrageous storylines to keep viewers hooked despite how ridiculous the stories become. Usually used in reference to K-dramas.