Seilon withdrew his hand and looked at me with an expression of disbelief.
“What on earth is going on in your head?”
I rubbed my nose and pouted.
“I was sucked into a strange place, my reflection looked different, and unfamiliar people greeted me warmly—so it’s understandable.”
The reflection in the wall mirror was a completely different person.
For one, the age was different.
Not eleven years old, but at least a woman of twenty appeared.
Where was the blonde hair and red eyes? Instead, silver hair and blue eyes.
Not curly hair either, but straight hair—at a glance...
“Hm?”
I spun around to look at Seilon.
“Why do I sense the scent of Seilon’s bloodline in my face?”
It was almost as similar as the original me and Dad.
. ‘Could it really be a father-daughter or sibling relationship?’
When I looked at him suspiciously, the kindly man who had reached out to me chuckled softly.
Seilon sighed, “I can’t just punch that...,”
and the kind man said,
“A human body cannot withstand this place. Seilon shared his blood and flesh to bring you here.”
“Ah, so the similar face... That almost gave me chills.”
I muttered, and Seilon scowled sharply.
The kindly man and the man who had shouted at me about not getting up both burst out laughing.
‘Oops.’
I had forgotten my manners.
‘I tend to be too blunt around Seilon.’
Thinking so, the kind man said with a teasing voice,
“It’s like how a child becomes comfortable before their parents.”
“Huh?”
“The guardian star is like a parent that watches over humans, protecting them from illness and misfortune.”
“Well, it doesn’t seem like much protection, but... I see.”
Seilon grabbed my cheek sharply.
“Ugh!”
“I did protect you. It’s all thanks to me that you didn’t die from overwork despite abusing your body so much. Do you realize that?”
“I do now! Ow, let go!”
“That hurts? A guardian star can never cause pain to those it protects.”
So that kind of rule exists.
I rubbed my cheek and suddenly opened my eyes wide.
“Huh? Then I don’t have to be afraid of Seilon anymore...!”
“If you’re willing to endure damage to your soul, maybe. Hm?”
Seilon gave me a terrifying glare, so I smiled awkwardly.
“Guardian stars can even read thoughts, so that’s uncomfortable.”
The kind man explained.
“If it’s uncomfortable, you can develop a blessing as you call it—”
“Mikael.”
Seilon warned, and the kind man called Mikael shrugged.
But then Mikael whispered while pretending to rub my cheek.
“I cannot read your father’s thoughts.”
“...What?”
“What could that mean? Maybe a clever child might know.”
“If you raise the blessing’s level, even guardian stars can’t read thoughts?”
Seilon scowled fiercely.
“I told «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» you not to tell! My child is clever and unpredictable!”
Mikael ignored him and stroked my hair.
“Truly clever, my beloved child.”
Ah, Mikael’s touch feels so good.
It’s like being buried in a sun-dried, fresh cotton blanket.
Comforting and warm—just like Dad... Dad?
I grabbed Mikael’s hand with both of mine.
“You said you can’t read Dad’s thoughts but called me your beloved child?”
“Yes.”
“Then, could Mikael be... our Dad’s...”
Then Seilon and the man who shouted about me not getting up looked at me strangely.
Mikael smiled awkwardly.
“That is...”
“Enough, enough.”
The man who shouted stood up lightly raising his hand.
“A child who cannot handle the information of the lower world.”
“Bakira.”
A man called Bakira suddenly poked his face near me, narrowing his eyes.
“Be curious only about what you can handle. Unless you intend to crack your soul.”
“...”
“This reckless behavior is why even Seilon can’t handle it.”
“...”
“A creature desperately clinging to life fears nothing even when it threatens its own life. Am I wrong?”
“...But...”
I looked at Bakira curiously.
“How do you know if something unknown is something I can handle?”
“...What?”
“You should tell me what’s dangerous and warn me.”
“What, what did you say!?”
“No... how could someone who knows nothing tell if fire or streetlamps are dangerous?”
“This girl doesn’t know who I am...!”
“So I don’t know who you are...”
Bakira looked so mad he might fall over.
Seilon chuckled dryly, Mikael stifled a laugh.
Seilon raised an eyebrow and said,
“You’re impossible to defeat with words.”
Bakira glared and puffed at me.
I quietly hid behind Mikael’s shoulder.
‘If Bakira tries to hit me, Mikael will help, right?’
Mikael seems kind.
“I won’t hit! Do you think I’m some shameless bastard who only hits girls?!”
Bakira shouted in frustration.
Seilon and Mikael burst into loud laughter.
When Bakira shouted, “You come here!” Mikael raised both hands in defense.
“Alright, alright, enough.”
“Who said I’m your... child...!”
Beeeeeep—!!
A terrible ringing echoed through my head.
“Ahhh!”
I screamed, clutching my head.
Seilon grabbed Bakira’s shoulder and roughly pushed him away, then hurried to me.
‘It hurts, it hurts, it hurts...!’
My head felt like it was splitting apart.
The pain was incomparable to when I opened the root of my Blessed Land.
“Aaaahhh...! It hurts, it hurts...!”
Seilon watched me curled up on the bed holding my head.
“Look at me.”
“It hurts, it hurts! Dad...!”
Even when I died in my first life, it wasn’t this painful.
I cried and twisted the sheet, tears mixed with blood dripping down.
“Erilot—”
“Move aside!”
Mikael picked me up.
“Dad, ah, ugh... Dad...!”
Since I was young in my first life, I never called my mother.
Even when children fell and cried “Mom!” I never did.
Of course, Dad died early too, but for me, called ‘dirty blood,’ mother was a taboo word.
In the second life, I apparently subconsciously thought of her as ‘Se-eun’s mother,’ never calling her by name.
In the third life, I never even saw her face.
So I had never called out to Mom and cried... but now...
“Mom... uhng... it hurts... Mom!”
Not just my head, but extreme pain tearing through my whole body made me call out to Mom unconsciously.
I saw Bakira frozen behind Seilon.
Despite the pain, there was surprise and a strange emotion in Bakira’s eyes.
Mikael held me limp and gently covered my eyes with his large hand.
“Baby, focus on my breathing.”
“It hurts, ugh, Dad...”
“Yes. I’m by your side.”
Mikael pressed his forehead against my hand on my brow.
My burning hot head slowly began to cool.
“It’s okay.”
“Dad...”
“Yes, I’m here with you.”
The suffocating tightness in my chest eased and my breathing returned to normal.
As my screams subsided, I felt Seilon’s presence approach.
Mikael slowly withdrew his hand.
Seilon grabbed my cheek.
“Look into my eyes.”
I blankly stared into his eyes.
As I gazed into his deep, unreadable blue eyes, the pain gradually eased.
“My child.”
“Erilot.”
“...”
I quietly muttered, looking at Seilon and Mikael calling me.
“Ah, I thought I was dying...”
Mikael smiled gently and brushed my sweat-damp hair aside.
Seilon sighed and held his forehead, then glared at the still-stiff Bakira.
“You almost shattered my child’s soul when I told you not to seek what you can’t handle.”
“...”
Bakira immediately sulked.
Mikael half helped me to sit up.
Then stared intently at my pale face.
“No cracks in the soul.”
“What is this?”
Seilon turned my chin and narrowed his eyes.
“You don’t know yet.”
“Why?”
“Your soul is still too fragile to know the truth of the world.”
“...”
“When you grow and can handle it, you’ll know anytime.”
I looked at Seilon and frowned.
‘Can’t we do something about that edgy teenager talk?’
Seilon stared at me intently.
“What is ‘edgy teenager talk’?”
I quickly turned my head to avoid the question.
Mikael stroked my hair and said,
“It’s time to go back. Your father will be heartbroken.”
“Can you feel Dad’s mood?”
“Humans aren’t the only ones who can be linked to guardian stars. Strong emotions can be transferred to guardian stars as well.”
“...”
“Just as I find my baby so lovable and dear.”
A halo of light formed beneath my feet.
As my body glowed and felt like floating, Seilon, Mikael, and Bakira gradually began to fade.
“Until next time, my most beloved soul.”
Mikael and,
“Don’t rage around. Stop getting hurt, okay?”
Seilon said farewell.
And then...
Just before I completely disappeared, Bakira rushed over.
He grabbed me hurriedly and shouted,
“Don’t get hurt!”
—In a very desperate voice.
Bakira’s expression twisted in anguish as he stared at me wildly.
His gaze was even more earnest than Seilon’s and Mikael’s.
I recalled Mikael’s words.
Human feelings can transfer to guardian stars.
So if Bakira loves me as much as Mikael does...
“...Mom?”
Bakira smiled bitterly.
I shouted urgently,
“You’re Mom’s guardian star! Right! Wait, Bakira!”
Bakira dropped his hand from my body.
The bell tied to his wrist jingled clearly as I lost consciousness.
After the child left, silence fell among the men.
Mikael looked at the spot where I had lain.
“A quick-witted child.”
Seilon stared off expressionlessly.
“Why do I sense Seilon’s bloodline in my face?”
The ancients were immortal but had one flaw: they could not reproduce.
Having children depended solely on the will of the gods.
Therefore, life was created against divine will.
The impure priest Seilon and his group were the same.
They created the most precious and beloved soul in the world by giving half their blood, flesh, and soul.
“Father.”
“Abba.”
“Fa-ther.”
“Fa-ther!”
“Good, Father.”
“Dad.”
“What went wrong? The one to inherit all must not have been made so foolish.”
“Dad!”
I remember raising my tiny arm.
Also, my small feet running through the temple.
“Seero Appa, Mika Appa, uhng...”
“And me? Me!”
“Fool.”
“This...!”
“Mommy, the baby’s crying...”
“Dad!”
I remember the temple bathed in sunlight.
Thirteen beings watching, laughing as you ran.
You running your best with your small body toward us.
“Why did you desire? There was nothing else needed besides that scene and the child.”
At Mikael’s words, Seilon and Bakira were silent.
My head was dizzy.
But the moment I regained consciousness, I realized.
‘I’m back in reality.’
If I had known Bakira was Mom’s guardian star, I would have had many questions.
‘Why does Mom have a guardian star?’
Does being able to use blessings mean she’s noble?
Or a created being?
Thinking that, I opened my eyes.
But then...
“Dad.”
It was a room.
Around me, Dad, my older brothers, and Alexis were staring at me.
I looked at Dad beside me.
Then quickly swallowed dryly.
His expression was terrifying.
“Dad...”
“How’s your body?”
“I’m fine!”
“...”
Dad’s expression was so frightening I nervously changed my answer.
“My head’s a bit dizzy...”
“...”
Dad stood up.
“Talk after you recover.”
“D-Dad!”
I quickly grabbed Dad.
“Are you angry?”
“I taught you wrong.”
“...!”
I looked at Dad, startled.
“What?”
“Was that all you asked after waking up? Whether I was angry?”
“...I’m sorry.”
Balzac, glancing at Dad, deliberately shouted.
“Yeah! Very sorry! Everyone was so worried!”
He kept glancing nervously at Dad.
Joshua and Richmond nodded.
“It’s natural to worry if you go alone to such places, Erilot.”
“Yeah.”
Everyone spoke, watching Dad’s expression.
‘This is serious.’
“Okay, I’m sorry. I didn’t know it was such a big deal. If I knew it was dangerous, I’d have asked permission from you...!”
“Erilot.”
“Yes! Dad!”
“I know you better than you think.”
“Huh?”
“Even if you knew it was dangerous, you wouldn’t tell me.”
“...”
“You would have borne the danger alone to protect the family.”
That was true.
I bit my lower lip.
Dad said with a cold expression,
“I never punished you because I thought you were a child who could realize mistakes on your own.”
“...Yes.”
“Now you know. Trust isn’t everything. What punishment do you need?”
I hesitated, watching Dad closely.
“Cor... corporal... punishment...?”
At that moment, the brothers’ expressions hardened.
Balzac shouted loudly.
“Corporal punishment? I’m really angry, that won’t do!”
Then he started kicking everything he could find.
Wooden swords, thin sticks used for hanging clothes, batons used in lessons...
Joshua and Richmond were furious too.
“We’re very angry, Erilot!”
“Yeah!”
They started breaking every long object...
Objects that looked fit to be used as corporal punishment.
The strange thing was even Dad flinched.