Suicide Before Defeating the Final Boss

Suicide Before Defeating the Final Boss – 81

EP.81 The Promise

That evening, as previously discussed, Jeong-hyeon released Karina. Of course, rather than making it seem like a prearranged release, he put on an act, giving the impression that he was secretly freeing her.

‘Whether things go smoothly or not, she’ll likely think twice before acting rashly because of the contract.’

Since the brainwashing had only been in effect for a few days, it was highly likely it would wear off soon. Still, it wasn’t an issue; he’d planned on controlling her through the contract anyway.

Deciding to wait and see what Karina would do, he resolved to focus his efforts on strengthening his resources for the time being.

‘But before that…’

He reminded himself, there was also the promise he made to Hana.

Jeong-hyeon sat back, gently pinching Hana’s cheeks, before making a request to Miria.

“Can you find some information on the Demon King? Like his location or recent activities.”

“…The Demon King? Hmm. Alright, I’ll do my best. But don’t get your hopes up too much; we’re at war with him, so there’s not much public information out there.”

“Then just find his location, at least.”

“That’s doable.”

With Miria’s assurance, he closed his eyes for a moment, deep in thought.

‘Should I crush the elves first or ally with the Demon King?’

After weighing his options, he concluded:

‘Meeting the Demon King first would be best.’

‘The sooner the alliance, the better.’

The more allies he had, the easier it would be to accomplish his goals. Deciding that it would be best to take the simplest route, he chose to proceed with his plans accordingly.

***

Meanwhile, in another part of the castle, Peke was busy directing maids and butlers, glancing toward the second-class royal residence with a sigh.

‘What in the world is going on in there?’

Refusals for cleaning and maintenance were just the start. Morning, noon, or night, women were constantly being called to the room. One maid even claimed she’d heard piercing moans coming from there during the evening.

While it was too soon to jump to conclusions, all the evidence seemed to lead to a single suspicion he couldn’t ignore.

‘How did the royal residence fall to this state…?’

A few years ago, the second-class royal quarters were held in such high esteem, often described as one of the most noble and dignified places in the world. Now, the fact that a notorious philanderer resided there was nothing short of disheartening.

Still, Peke knew he had to do his best to serve, especially given Lady Charlotte’s orders. Yet, nearby, he overheard a hushed conversation.

“Did you hear? About the student staying in the second-class quarters.”

“Oh, you mean that legendary ‘all-black-haired-bad-boy-who-can-handle-three-at-once’ guy?”

Peke couldn’t help but stare in shock, wondering if he’d misheard such crude words. “A guy… what?” He leaned back against the wall, dizzy from the shocking remark, as the maids continued their conversation.

“I heard his technique is so incredible, even the First Princess can’t forget about him and asks for him now and then…”

“Ugh, that crazy girl. Though, it’s hard to argue considering the First Princess put that commoner in a second-class suite…”

“Wow… He’s good-looking too. Maybe I should give it a shot?”

“Hah! You’re crazy.”

Peke almost fainted, laughter ringing in his ears, but he managed to steady himself with superhuman patience. He approached the maids and cleared his throat, prompting them to turn pale and apologize profusely. Nodding as they scattered, he reminded himself he’d need to instill a bit of discipline later.

‘How did things here fall so far?’

Longing for the brighter days of the past, Peke let out a deep sigh and turned to leave—only to spot the Second Princess, Karina, emerging from the suite. Her flushed face and damp clothing, barely intact, left her skin visible in places from the damage to her attire.

“Wait… The Second Princess was in there too?”

“So that’s why the First Princess kept telling us not to worry about it…”

“Good grief. Just how rough was it in there?”

Even while retreating, the maids whispered among themselves, their eyes wide. Feeling another dizzy spell coming on, Peke stood there, stunned and at a loss.

***

The next morning, Jeong-hyeon woke to find Lucia sleeping soundly beside him, with Hana nestled in as well. Smiling, he looked at the two resting peacefully.

‘They’re so alike, those two.’

After pulling the blanket up to cover them, he mentally organized his plans for the day.

‘A quick morning training, then maybe we can go out and have some fun.’

With that decision made, he moved ahead with his morning routine.

When he returned from his usual training, he found Miria had already arrived, dragging a drowsy Lucia around as she cleaned the room.

“What’s going on?”

He asked.

With a sigh, Miria pinched Lucia’s cheek as she explained.

“We agreed to clean together, but she keeps trying to go back to sleep, so I’m giving her a bit of a wake-up call.”

“Ah.”

He chuckled, watching Lucia still half-asleep. Turning back to Miria, he asked,

“So, did you decide where you want to go today?”

“I said I didn’t have anywhere specific in mind, so I figured we’d head up to the nearby hills.”

Miria replied.

“Oh, yeah?”

He remembered her mentioning before that she didn’t have any particular plans, so with their course set, Jeong-hyeon decided to pack a simple lunch, and together they headed out for a leisurely day on the hills.

***

Lucia sat with Hana nestled in her arms, gazing absentmindedly at Jeong-hyeon. What exactly was this feeling? Was it enough just to watch him from here and feel… content? Struggling to define the unexplainable warmth, she continued to stare, trying to make sense of it all.

“Mom, do you like Dad?”

Hana’s innocent question pulled Lucia out of her reverie, her cheeks flushing with sudden embarrassment. Blinking, she glanced down at Hana, who looked up at her, head tilted in curiosity.

Lucia felt a tug of internal conflict but finally decided to answer honestly. She rubbed her warm cheeks with the back of her hand and nodded.

“… Yes, I do.”

Hana tilted her head further, still not quite understanding.

“Why?”

Caught off guard by such a straightforward question, Lucia froze. As she struggled to respond, Miria, watching from the side with a mischievous grin, gave her a teasing nudge.

“Wow, Lucia, you’re bolder than I thought.”

“N-no, it’s not like that.”

“Oh, really? Because you just confessed you like him pretty easily.”

Miria smirked.

Feeling like she couldn’t endure any more teasing, Lucia gently set Hana down and made a hasty attempt to leave. Just then, she noticed Jeong-hyeon walking over, his arms full of firewood.

“Where are you headed?”

He asked.

“Oh… um…”

Her words stumbled to a halt. Miria chimed in, her tone playful as ever.

“She’s off because she’s feeling a bit lovestruck.”

She teased.

Jeong-hyeon gave Miria a puzzled look, then shook his head, changing the subject.

“Anyway, I finished gathering the firewood. Let’s get the food ready.”

“Yes, yes.”

Lucia mumbled, grateful for the change in conversation.

Miria couldn’t resist adding one last quip.

“We haven’t even lit the fire, but Lucia’s already looking flushed. Guess someone special nearby has warmed her up?”

Too flustered to respond, Lucia gently pushed Miria away, her voice rising.

“Oh, come on! Miria, give it a rest already!”

“Ah, you want some time alone? In that case, I’ll just leave you two to it.”

Miria said, laughing as she backed off.

With her face burning even more, Lucia avoided meeting Jeong-hyeon’s eyes, feeling too embarrassed to even lift her head. Jeong-hyeon, noticing her discomfort, handed her a cool drink.

“Feeling warm?”

He asked with a gentle smile.

“No, no, I’m fine.”

She murmured, accepting the drink.

“Well, just in case. Stay hydrated and take it easy.”

“Okay… thank you.”

Jeong-hyeon then scooped Hana up into his lap and started taking out the packed lunch, one container after another.

“Looks like we have a feast here. When did you prepare all this?”

He asked, his tone filled with appreciation.

Miria answered for Lucia with a smirk.

“She actually got up early this morning to prepare it. I just helped here and there, but Lucia did the rest.”

“Did she? Well, it looks amazing. Thanks.”

“Y-you’re welcome…”

Lucia replied, her fingers fidgeting as she tried to calm her nerves. It was her first time feeling so restless, unsure of what to do with herself.

At that moment, Hana suddenly sat up from Jeong-hyeon’s lap, a spark of excitement lighting her eyes as she looked at him.

Hana, as if entranced, began to move toward a large tree nearby.

“Hana?”

Jeong-hyeon, noticing her sudden change, quickly followed her, concern evident in his voice. Miria, also sensing something unusual, stood up and motioned for Lucia to come along.

‘Did she discover something?’

Lucia thought, recalling Hana’s nature as the World Tree, the source of all life. Sometimes, Hana exhibited these mysterious impulses that often ended up benefiting Jeong-hyeon in unexpected ways.

As they followed Hana, she suddenly threw herself forward and grabbed something, shouting,

“Gotcha!”

Curious about what Hana had captured, Lucia peered over and gasped—there, shimmering in Hana’s small hands, was a golden goblin.

“Kieeek!”

The goblin froze in her grasp, its whole body trembling. Although goblins, as monsters, would typically retaliate when confronted by humans, this one seemed different. Perhaps due to Hana’s identity as the World Tree, the golden goblin was not resisting, merely cowering in her hold.

A golden goblin… Lucia knew this creature was famed for its rare ability to traverse dimensions—a unique and elusive monster the royal family had long sought to capture, to no avail. Yet Hana had managed to catch one without effort.

Lucia was about to step forward and praise her when Miria, standing nearby, looked ready to faint from sheer amazement. She plopped down onto the ground, gazing at Hana with a dazed expression of admiration.

“… My goodness. Is Hana… a goddess?”