Chapter 903. Sera (3)
Just as I expected, Seraphim looked hopeless and indescribably sad. He had been telling himself to hold back his tears, but he no longer had the energy to do even that.
He cried so hard that his eyes resembled a faucet.
He sobbed and hiccuped while his limbs were trembling as if he were having a seizure. I was sure that he felt like his existence itself was being denied.
Seraphim wasn’t the only one surprised. The other children seemed more tense than earlier. Actually, it was like they had stopped thinking. It was possible that they were blaming themselves, and they were probably assuming that they'd hear such words in the future.
The children were scared about the possibility that their existence itself would be denied. Dominions was probably thinking about Lee Ji-Hye, while Cherubim was probably thinking about Cha Hee-Ra.
They were thinking about the possibility of hearing such words.
Cherubim had been looking at Seraphim with a worried gaze, but now, he was quiet and was looking quite pale himself.
Meanwhile, Han Sora instinctively stood in Jung Ha-Yan’s path. A magic barrier sprang up; it seemed that Han Sora was worried that Seraphim would hear Jung Ha-Yan's further words.
“M-Miss Jung Ha-Yan... that’s...”
“We should’ve brought the other children...” Jung Ha-Yan said.
“D-Don’t you think you’re being too harsh? Sera is doing his best...”
“D-Doing your best is meaningless! Y-You know that as well... It’s really frustrating, Sora. Really frustrating... Hiccup... Heuk... I’m really frustrated... but I don’t know what to do... I’m so frustrated...” Jung Ha-Yan complained.
“Still!” Han Sora shouted.
“I-I said I’m frustrated!” Jung Ha-Yan shouted as well.
“Miss Jung Ha-Yan!”
“I-I-I’m... frustrated!”
‘Damn it. I don’t even know when I should intervene.’
I suddenly felt like getting Han Sora involved was a bad idea.
Han Sora had always been an emotional person, but I felt like she was more emotional than usual in this matter.
Honestly, it seemed like Jung Ha-Yan was just speaking randomly earlier. She seemed to have spat every single word that came to her mind without thinking about it. She was frustrated, but she had no idea how to stop feeling frustrated except for cornering others.
“Hiccup... I don’t even want to see him...” Jung Ha-Yan said.
“Please stop... Any more and—”
“I-It’s really tiring... O-Oppa... Hiccup... Heuk...” Jung Ha-Yan cried.
“...”
‘I should comfort her for now.’
“I think it’s best if we talk about this later. Ha-Yan, how about you head in first?” I suggested.
“...”
“Or...”
“I-I’ll do that. I-I want to rest...” Jung Ha-Yan stuttered.
Jung Ha-Yan tried her best not to look at Seraphim as she walked past him.
Han Sora grabbed Jung Ha-Yan's hand, but the latter shook off her hand, which was shocking to me. Seraphim froze like a broken doll for quite a few moments before he cried his heart out once again.
Just as I started wondering about what I could say to comfort him, he turned and ran toward the forest.
‘Are you going to run away from home?’
“Cherubim, bring him back,” I ordered.
“Yes... Father,” Cherubim answered with a nod.
Seraphim wouldn't be able to run away anywhere, as his home was wherever we were.
Han Sora glanced in the direction where Seraphim had disappeared before staring at me.
'Yeah, I should talk to her as well.'
“How about a cup of coffee...”
“You’re really ruthless. You...” Han Sora paused.
“...”
“I knew you were crazy, but you crazier than I thought,” Han Sora added.
“I told you not to become fond of him. I didn’t bring him here because I wanted to. Weren’t you aware of that as well?” I asked.
“T-The situation is different now,” Han Sora argued.
“I believe I’ve done enough for him,” I told her.
I wasn’t trying to avoid the conversation or give her an excuse because it was true that I had provided Seraphim with everything he needed.
Once could say that I had done the bare minimum by not sending him back or abandoning him. He was actually supposed to watch us down here from up there. It sounded a bit too ruthless, but he needed to be punished for his sin.
“I normally don’t compromise,” I said.
“I know that, but...”
“The fact that he’s here and has been able to enjoy such a daily life is enough of a compromise for me. He has lost his memories, sure, but there’s an indelible sin deep in his soul.
"I judge others that way, and I’m simply treating him like how I treat other people. Our Hyun-Sung almost died at his hands, too. He dared to touch what’s mine, so don't you think that I’m going easy on him by giving him this kind of treatment?
"Don’t you agree? It is a bit petty, but what I’m doing right now can’t even be considered revenge,” I explained.
“But still... he’s still a child...” Han Sora muttered.
“Indifference is the best treatment that I can give him. I honestly wasn’t planning on letting Ha-Yan take care of him...” I said.
“But you did,” Han Sora argued.
“Now that I think about it, I think I made a mistake,” I confessed.
‘I shouldn’t have let Jung Ha-Yan take care of him in the first place.’
I had to have allowed it, as I assumed that Jung Ha-Yan would quickly lose interest in Seraphim. However, it seemed that she had taken an interest in Seraphim upon hearing that Lee Ji-Hye and Cha Hee-Ra had accepted Dominions and Cherubim as if they were presents from me.
She felt like she was the only one without a gift, so she decided to take in Seraphim.
However, she made Han Sora take care of Seraphim, so I thought that she was no longer interested in him.
It seemed that I was wrong, and a part of me was kind of surprised. I thought Jung Ha-Yan had no sense of responsibility, but it seemed that feeling had bloomed inside of her the moment she accepted Sera.
‘No, she could have just done that on impulse after throwing a tantrum.’
Of course, it was highly likely that I was wrong. There was a high chance that she made that decision after thinking about it thoroughly. I was quite certain of it, as Jung Ha-Yan had never really been the type of person to turn others into her subordinates.
Perhaps what had happened to her on Earth was the reason behind it, but Jung Ha-Yan never really made people her subordinate to ensure that she wouldn't get backstabbed.
In other words, Jung Ha-Yan definitely had a hard time accepting Seraphim, and it could have been a pretty dangerous challenge for her as well.
She had basically invited a new person into the space that only Han Sora and I were allowed to enter, so it was definitely a big decision on her end. She had to have pondered over it for a few days and asked Han Sora many questions about it.
“Let’s talk about it over a cup of coffee. Oh yeah, it’s not because of Seraphim. I'm concerned about Ha-Yan, so I want to know a few things from you. Let me start with my questions. The day... Ha-Yan decided to take Seraphim...” I paused.
“...”
“What were you two talking about?” I asked.
“We just... talk about many different things. I can’t remember them all because we talked about so many things, but she seemed to be deeply contemplating something. She said she was excited... but scared at the same time about the idea.
"She did visit you in the end, but I recall her being really hesitant about it,” Han Sora responded.
‘Damn it.’
“And you didn’t stop her,” I said.
“I-I thought it would be helpful for Miss Jung Ha-Yan,” Han Sora stuttered.
“...”
“I kind of regret it now, but I thought it would help her at the time,” Han Sora said.
I perfectly understood Han Sora's feelings.
Jung Ha-Yan had probably lost interest in Seraphim when she realized that he wasn’t as competent as the other children. I assumed that she had let go of him completely when I stopped showing interest in him or stopped showing any reaction toward him.
Honestly, it was hard to deduce what had transpired, and I couldn't see through her thoughts. If there were a Jung Ha-Yan Instruction Manual, I would read it, but there wasn’t anything like that. We had been sharing information with each other, but how could she share something she wasn't even aware of... like her emotions for example?
“I think she's thinking that way now...” I mumbled.
“It’s because she’s been having a hard time these days,” Han Sora commented.
“How was she in the beginning?” I asked.
“I think it’s best if you look at it yourself,” Han Sora suggested.
Han Sora handed me a Goddess’ Hand Mirror, and it seemed that she had prepared the footage in advance, as the video played immediately when I accepted the hand mirror. The hand mirror depicted Seraphim when he was still a bit younger.
- L-Look, Sora. H-H-He’s really small, right...
- Yes... he is.
- I-I’m Jung Ha-Yan... I-I’ll be your mother from now on.
- M-Mother?
- H-He talked. Sora... he talked!
- It’s said that they can talk as soon as they are born. The other children seem to be growing a little faster than him.
- He’s cute.
- Hello, Mother.
- H-H-Hi...
- Don’t hide and come out, Miss Jung Ha-Yan. You should greet him properly. Hi, Sera! I’m your auntie.
- H-Hello, Auntie....
- You should go hug your mother. You should come out as well, Miss Jung Ha-Yan. Yes, just keep doing that!
I was annoyed by Seraphim’s genuinely happy smile, but Jung Ha-Yan looked so happy that I smiled without realizing it. To add to that, she looked surprisingly adorable as she hugged the tiny Seraphim. She was shy, but she patted his head nonstop with a bright smile.
She was obviously enjoying the moment.
- L-L-Look!
I was surprised to see her use magic to put on a show.
'Ah. So Seraphim was living a happier life than I thought at the start.'
- Wow...
- Y-You’ll be able to do it soon, too, Seraphim.
'No, I don’t think he can do that... Your magic is too fancy.'
“She’s a lot different now,” I commented.
“Yes, she’s become really different. She kind of struggled at first...” Han Sora said.
“...”
“Miss Jung Ha-Yan learned how to love from you, sir.” Han Sora pointed out.
“...”
“She's ignorant of anything else,” Han Sora added.
That was how I learned how to love as well. Obviously, I knew that method was drastically from the social norms. Anyway, it had to be the reason behind all this. I had alternative plans, but Jung Ha-Yan had none. I could make a move, but she couldn't.
I unknowingly started tapping my thigh, and I couldn't stop remembering Jung Ha-Yan’s smiling face.
“Miss Jung Ha-Yan must be seeing herself in Seraphim,” Han Sora said.
“...”
“And that’s why she feels frustrated,” Han Sora added.
I looked at Jung Ha-Yan using the Telescope and saw her crying with a blanket over her head.