My private office in the Neutral Zone.
I rubbed the bridge of my nose as I processed what exactly my lovely wife had just told me. "So you're telling me... two unknown masked men paid Yun Seohui an exorbitant amount of money to purchase a helicopter. The gods SOMEHOW allowed it to enter Paradise. And they're... what, raiding the Parasite Queen RIGHT now?"
"Apparently." Hannah frowned and said, "I asked Gula about it and she said to not worry, so..."
It was totally them, wasn't it? Blackie and the Future Sung Shihyun wreaking havoc.
Hannah hesitated and said, "...Is it fine? Do we need to send someone out to check on it?"
"...No. If it's who I think it is, everything will work out." I sighed and said. "Besides, if Gula says to not worry, then we won't worry."
I had enough on my plate already dealing with the beautiful and devoted women in my life. I was NOT piling up any more things onto my plate if I could.
"Alright. Then..." Hannah sat down on my lap and then flipped through a pile of papers.
I reflexively swallowed when she sat down on me, very much noticing her curves and the fact that she was filling out a bit more than usual-
Wait.
I paused and idly ran my hand across her belly.
Hannah shivered. "J-J-Jihu..."
"Have you gained weight? No, this isn't just gaining weight..." I traced my hand, feeling how her belly sloped. Then her thighs.
And then it hit me.
Did Hannah realize that I found out her secret? She turned a deep red and said, "D-D-Don't tell anyone yet..."
"...Hannah. Are you...?"
Hannah huffed. "A-A-Are you really gonna make me say it, you bastard? Yes." She paused. "Do you... not...?" She trailed off, as if unable to bring herself to even speak the possibility. As she did, she reflexively placed her hands around her belly, protecting it.
Seeing that, I gently kissed her neck. "Relax, Wife. I don't mind. And I'm happy. Really."
"...You're not just saying it because you want to make me feel better, are you?" Hannah looked at me and then glanced away. "B-B-Because if you are, stop. I can raise a kid by myself too. You don't have to worry about us or anything... I mean, you've got all your other girls to, so-"
"Stop that." I gently hugged her. "Hannah. You need to stop devaluing yourself. I know the circumstances around us getting married were definitely rushed. And this is also unexpected. But it's not unwelcome. YOU'RE not unwelcome, you know? Don't you remember?" I placed my head on her shoulder and said, "You're my partner. And you've done nothing but good by me. So now it's my turn to do good for you... and our little one too."
Hannah's breath hitched. Then she melted against me. "...You're going to regret it. They're definitely going to fight over this."
"They won't." I firmly rebuked her words. "I won't let them."
Hannah laughed. "That's being idealistic, Jihu-"
"No. It's being realistic. Hannah." I looked at her and said, "I've been playing catch up, so it's been a mess. But we're ALL adults here. It's been fine until now with the powerplays, collusions, all those things... but it's different now."
Until now, it was fine.
The antics were chaotic, the girls forming factions and bickering was inevitable, and it was also inevitable that someone or another would feel left out.
But.
I gently kissed Hannah's forehead and said, "I'll make it work, Hannah. I owe you that much. You and Flone- No. All of you."
This was a mess right now.
Hao was right.
Women were emotional creatures. They weren't like men, who were logical.
I'd been making appeals to logic. But that wouldn't work.
So...
Hannah looked at me. She stared at my determined gaze. Then she gave me a warm smile. "...Fine. If it's anyone who can solve this chaotic love polygon..." She wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me into a soft kiss. "It's you, Mister Miracle Worker."
"I'll do it properly this time, Hannah. Trust me."
Hannah laughed. "Well. It's the first time I've heard those words from you. 'Properly' huh? Not just collecting us like trophies, but loving us properly?"
"That's right."
I was different from Seol- No. Not COMPLETELY different.
There was a bit of him in me, after all, since I was technically a composite individual.
Sung Shihyun's ideal, a confident and competent individual.
Seol's wish, a version of him who lived his best life.
And then 'that person' who came across the story of Seol and thought he could do a better job, only to find himself as an 'extra' at first before dying without being able to change anything.
...Wait. That last bit was new information.
...I need to talk to Seonhwa about that sooner rather than later.
But anyway.
I was suffering because I was trying to resolve this like Seol would have.
And that guy was TERRIBLE with women. The reason was because he treated them like 'belongings' rather than people.
I had been slipping into that habit myself.
And it was time to stop it.
> The alias 'Harem God' has been removed.
> The trait, 'Devoted Partner' has been gained.
> Due to your enlightenment, a new innate ability has emerged.
> Innate Ability -
> [Resolver of Karma] - When abiding by the Rule of Karma to resolve accumulated karma with an individual, all abilities enhanced.
A flurry of status updates- No, [Transcendent Insight] responding to my changed perspective and mindset as well as reminding me of what mattered here.
Paradise was a done deal. At this point, with what I had, I could resolve this tomorrow.
...Which was probably what Blackie and future Sung Shihyun had done while I was squaring things away here.
'Definitely owe them drinks.'
But that came secondary to the people in my life.
Wasn't that how this whole thing started?
The reason I was here in the first place was...
---
*"Oppa! Don't go! Oppaaaa...!"*
*Pained and tearful screams.*
*The young girl... No, this person's younger sister, was kneeling on the ground, sobbing with her gaze lowered. In front of her, a bag of food had spilled out of a plastic bag, some roasted potato and grilled squid.*
---
...Yeah. It was because I couldn't accept how that man had treated those who believed in him the most. I couldn't accept how he treated his family.
"Husband?" Hannah's soft voice echoed.
When I blinked, I noticed that she was looking at me with a nervous expression.
"Are you alright?" Hannah reached up to caress my cheek, a bit of guilt on her face. "...Are you not ready to be a father?"
"Don't be silly." I gave her a sincere smile and kissed her. "I'm just planning for the future... and remembering what's important. Now, come on, Wifey." I wrapped my arms around her waist again and gently rubbed her belly. The place where our child was slowly growing. "What else did you have to tell me?"
"A-Ah. Right." Hannah took a breath and then focused, regaining her composure. "There was an incident in Eva involving Sung Shihyun..."