F/VoH Ch 104: Madam Christine

“Joke?” Cheonghee repeated the word softly while looking at Ryan with an unreadable expression. “So, you were just joking about having a child with me?”

Cheonghee's expressionless gaze made Ryan a bit tense, and now, with his emotions no longer suppressed, Ryan's nervousness was clearly visible. Ryan blinked several times, trying to find the right words.

“Y-yeah... I mean, you know... I’m only six years old!” Ryan said, trying to sound light-hearted, though his tone wavered. “How could I have a child right now? If I really had a child, then... in four years, I would have a three or four-year-old. Isn’t that strange and... yeah, unreasonable?”

Cheonghee remained unmoved, her gaze only deepening. “So... does that mean your words about helping to lift my curse by having a child were a lie?” Cheonghee's tone softened, almost a whisper, but it carried something unspoken.

Ryan paused for a moment, realizing the depth of hope behind that gaze. He took a deep breath, scratching his head, looking frustrated.

“Haaah… Alright, you woman…” Ryan muttered, glancing at Cheonghee with a resigned look. “I promise, I will make you pregnant… someday. But, I… I can’t meet that child. There’s so much I have to take care of... so much.”

Cheonghee smiled faintly, then suddenly grabbed Ryan's hand and pulled him without warning.

“Hey, wait! I mean, not now—!” Before Ryan could finish his words, Cheonghee had brought him into a room hidden behind a door at the back of the bartender's desk.

“This… is your room?” Ryan looked around with a confused expression.

“Yes,” Cheonghee replied with a smile, enjoying the confusion on Ryan's face.

The room was painted bright purple, and in the center was a large bed that looked incredibly soft. Around it were small lights creating a warm atmosphere, and the room was filled with a soft yet enticing aroma, making anyone who entered feel comfortable and... a little dazed.

Ryan's footsteps suddenly stopped when he heard Cheonghee's whisper, which was suddenly very close to his left ear. “Is this your first time?”

Ryan smiled faintly, turning slightly to see Cheonghee out of the corner of his eye. “No, this isn’t my first,” Ryan replied flatly. After all, this was Ryan's second life. In his previous life, Ryan was a healthy adult man who had a girlfriend. At least, Ryan had experienced moments like this three times.

But this time, Ryan's feelings were a bit different. The room felt so real, Cheonghee's presence was so warm, and Ryan's heart was beating with an unusual rhythm.

Ryan looked around the room, recalling snippets of the story in the True Hero Novel in the Hero World. In that novel, Cheonghee was just a supporting character with a tragic background, one of many who ultimately found happiness thanks to the main character. But now Ryan stood here, in front of Cheonghee, whose fate he had changed.

Cheonghee was the daughter of a farmer in a remote village in the Kingdom of Polons. When a monster attack destroyed Cheonghee's village, her parents were killed, and Cheonghee herself, although she survived the attack, was captured by slave traders.

Fate brought Cheonghee to Madam Christine, the owner of the largest Red District in the Kingdom of Polons, who turned out to be a descendant of one of the Great Heroes from Earth—just like Cheonghee.

When Madam Christine realized that Cheonghee also had the blood of a Hero, she took Cheonghee as her apprentice and trained her. Under Madam Christine's guidance, Cheonghee developed into a formidable fighter, until one day Madam Christine handed over the leadership of the Red District to Cheonghee.