The World’s Strongest Daughter.

The next morning.

“Ji-hwan, is it edible…?”

Kong Hye-sun spoke with a slightly nervous face.

The bread she baked herself was so delicious that you would believe it was bought from somewhere.

Especially on a hungry morning.

“It’s delicious as always today. I think your skills are getting better and better.”

Then Kong Hye-sun smiled shyly, bowed slightly, and spoke to Min So-yeon, sitting beside me.

“So-yeon, how is it? Is it okay?”

When I turned my gaze following Kong Hye-sun, I could see Min So-yeon biting her lips tightly and glaring at the bread in her hand.

A face that really doesn’t want to admit it.

“… It’s edible.”

But the mouth was honest.

Satisfied with the evaluation, Kong Hye-sun prepared for class with a pleased face, and Min So-yeon roughly bit into the bread and glared at me sharply.

It was a look of more than one or two dissatisfactions.

I avoided her sharp gaze and quietly bit into the bread.

Thus, we settled our breakfast in an uncomfortable atmosphere, and soon the morning class followed.

The morning class consists of theoretical subjects.

Many parts require note-taking, but it was relatively well-organized, thanks to the habits I learned from Kong Hye-sun.

But….

“…”

Not Min So-yeon.

I didn’t know when we were sitting apart, but Min So-yeon took the class without opening a book.

She seems to be lost in thought, staring at the blackboard with a blank look.

She doesn’t seem to be interested in the class itself.

This is serious…

Come to think of it, So-yeon never showed interest in studying from the beginning.

A feeling that she doesn’t like the profession of ‘hunter’ itself.

What could be a bigger problem for me, who needs to make her the strongest?

“…”

Actually, thinking from her perspective, it’s not that I don’t understand why she’s not interested in being a hunter.

Her father, whose job was a hunter, died in an accident at the gate,

Her mother, who made a name for herself as a hunter, abandoned her and left for the countryside.

Moreover, with the label of ‘Sword Empress’s daughter,’ she can’t avoid being compared to the ‘Sword Empress’ even if she becomes a hunter.

It’s not easy to think positively about hunters in such an unfortunate situation.

Of course, So-yeon does have talent no less than her mother.

Someday she will surpass my wife by far.

She must.

But that doesn’t mean it’s not human to force her to become a hunter.

After all, it’s my fault that it turned out this way because I died, so how can I tell her with my own mouth to become a hunter?

I wish I could create an opportunity for her to nurture her dreams…

My wife gave me one piece of caution.

To gradually distance myself a little from So-yeon.

Although it turned out that I was mistaken this time, she said that someday she might really see me as the opposite sex.

Thinking about my wife’s words, I thought it could be possible.

Although she’s too young to know well now, it wouldn’t be strange for her to fall for someone soon.

Knowing I’m the only man around her…

If she really confesses to me when I can’t even reveal my identity…

Ugh.

Wouldn’t it be better to just run away?

***

That evening.

“… I’ll do it today.”

Just as I was about to put on an apron to prepare dinner, I was slightly surprised by Min So-yeon’s sudden remark.

“…Huh?”

What are you going to do?

“…I said I’ll make dinner. Give me the apron.”

And she snatched the apron I was holding, quickly put it around her neck, and said,

“…Ti, tie the string for me.”

For being so proud to take it, she showed quite a cute look.

After tying the apron string tightly like that, she started moving swiftly with a determined expression.

A small question came to my mind when I saw Min So-yeon preparing dinner with a serious face.

…Why is she suddenly making dinner?

Since I’m away every weekend, I’ve been steadily teaching her how to cook.

But today is a weekday.

Since I’m here, she doesn’t have to do it.

I came here to take care of the meal in the first place….

But I couldn’t figure out why she suddenly said she would make dinner.

Sitting at the table, watching Min So-yeon’s actions closely, I casually spoke to her.

“What’s the menu today?”

Then Min So-yeon, who was rummaging through the refrigerator, took out a green onion and said,

“…Fried rice.”

Fried rice.

It was the very first menu I taught her.

I think classic fried rice with green onions and eggs will come out.

I get to eat the rice So-yeon made for me…

Whatever the reason, isn’t it good as it is?

Half-worried, half-excited, I said to her as if it was nothing.

“I was just craving it, I’ll look forward to it.”

Then she glanced at me and replied not to expect much.

Oh…. You remember it well.

As if she remembered what I taught her well, Min So-yeon handled the ingredients quite skillfully.

Whisking eggs, removing the chalaza, seasoning moderately, and completing the egg mixture.

And she immediately started trimming the green onion.

Min So-yeon cut the green onion in half to make it easy to slice, then sliced it thinly.

Tak-tak-tak-tak-

Perhaps because of her sword-wielding skills, she showed quite skillful knife work.

“Oh….”

I inadvertently lost myself watching her ingredient preparation and at that moment,

Tak-

Her knife work slipped a little,

“Ouch!”

She let out a short groan and grabbed her hand.

“Ar, are you okay!?”

Startled, I jumped up from my seat and approached her.

“…Tsk….”

But Min So-yeon turned her back as if she didn’t want to show me, and hid her hand, didn’t she?

This girl, really…

But the red marks on the cutting board couldn’t be hidden.

“Blood….”

The moment I saw the bright red blood, my heart sank.

“Le, let me see!”

I hurriedly grabbed her arm.

“…It, it’s okay….”

“What’s okay, hurry up and give me your hand!”

After persistently clinging on, she reluctantly handed over her hand,

“Haa….”

I could see her thumb stained bright red.

Judging by the blood flowing a little, fortunately, it doesn’t seem to be a big cut, but it’s not a small wound either.

This won’t do.

For hemostasis, I immediately put her finger in my mouth.

The unfamiliar fishy taste lingered in my mouth.

Her finger touching my tongue twitched.

At that moment,

“Cr, crazy bastard! Why are you putting that in your mouth!”

Min So-yeon shouted while pounding on my head.

I quickly spit out her finger because she was struggling so much, and Min So-yeon alternately looked at her finger and me with her eyes wide open.

“…The bleeding will stop now. Let’s disinfect and put on a band-aid.”

Min So-yeon, staring blankly at her finger, looked at me intently and shut her mouth tight.

After sitting her on the couch like that, I brought the first-aid kit and continued the treatment.

“Bear with it even if it stings a little.”

“…Ugh….”

Every time I dab-dab the disinfectant on the wound, her flinching figure started to worry me a little.

If she becomes a hunter in the future, she may get bigger wounds than this, but I’m so worried about just a cut…

Strongest or not, I don’t know if I can send her to the gate.

“Almost done….”

After blowing and applying ointment on her finger, I wrapped a band-aid with a cute animal printed on it around her finger.

“…Does it hurt a lot?”

Min So-yeon, staring blankly at the band-aid wrapped around her finger, answered that it was okay while slightly avoiding my gaze.

After finishing the treatment like that,

I tried to make dinner for her since she was injured, but she insisted on doing it herself and went back to the kitchen.

Her will to finish despite being injured was really remarkable.

I wish she’d use that will to follow lessons…

In the end, Min So-yeon successfully completed the fried rice, and I happily set the dinner table with her.

“Oh….”

Looking at it set up, it seemed quite nice.

“Thank you for the meal.”

I sat down, immediately scooped up the fried rice Min So-yeon made, and put it in my mouth.

The savory and nutty flavors spread appropriately.

It was a bit salty, but quite delicious.

It’s clear that her cooking skills take after me.

As I was putting another spoonful in my mouth, I felt strangely moved, and Min So-yeon, who was sitting across from me, carefully spoke up.

“…Ho, how is it?”

It was the fourth time she asked how dinner was today.

Is there an answer she wants?

“…It was so delicious. It tasted even better because you made it for me.”

Scrub- scrub-

I couldn’t look back because I was doing the dishes, but she seemed satisfied, judging by the lack of words.

After finishing the dishes like that, I immediately said I would go home.

“…Without playing games?”

But as if she was a little sad that I was leaving right away, Min So-yeon slightly held me back, mentioning the game.

Euh….

Looking at her oddly disappointed figure, I almost said I would stay and play…

But remembering my wife’s advice again, I made an excuse that I had something to do,

“See you tomorrow.”

“…Go.”

Leaving behind Min So-yeon, who looked regretful, I left the house.

…Should I play a little tomorrow…?

I thought it would be okay about 3 days a week.

Thud-

As I went out the front door, the dark sky came into view.

Perhaps the sky felt less dark because I came out earlier than usual.

As I was blankly moving my steps toward the house, thinking about Min So-yeon and Kong Hye-sun at that moment.

“…”

Suddenly, a huge flow of mana was felt.

It was a sensation of absorbing the surrounding mana like water draining into a sewer.

…Is it a gate?

No, gates are not created like this.

Rather, it’s closer to the feeling of a hole being made by a bomb exploding.

Then this means that someone artificially created this phenomenon.

In case of an emergency, I slowly pulled up mana and carefully took steps.

I was slowly moving while being vigilant of my surroundings at that time.

“Hello.”

From behind, a strangely familiar voice was heard.

Eek!

The moment I turned around while drawing mana on my hand….

Poof-

With a small explosion, the electricity on the street went out as if there was a power outage.

…Except for one place.

“You’re Yoo Ji-hwan, right?”

Only the streetlight illuminating where I was, was emitting bright light, shining on me and ‘her’.

Pink hair shimmering in the streetlight and a gentle-looking cute appearance.

“Nice to meet you.”

A woman who looks like Kong Hye-sun… No, a woman who looked exactly like Kong Hye-sun was standing before me.