TYHL SS 41 💫

~ Side Story 41 ~

Then Khalid smiled sweetly.

“Doesn’t sound wrong to me.”

It was because of that mole under his eye.

Whenever he smiled slightly with his eyes, that little tear mole made him look almost dangerously charming…

Balrog sniffed and buried his face in his thick arm.

“Cute!”

“……”

The grandfather who had rolled them around the training grounds since they were little was weak to children.

Honestly, everyone cherished Khalid just as much as Rubian.

So there wasn’t really anything to “permit.”

Rosetta was a little different, though.

‘My daughter… my daughter.’

Her brows drooped sadly.

It wasn’t about whether the other person was Khalid or not.

Rosetta loved both Khalid and Rubian dearly.

She was simply reluctant to see her one and only daughter become independent.

Rubian was the child she had finally reunited with after a long hardship—especially precious to her.

So at least, after spending more special mother-and-daughter time together…

And preferably, as late as possible—

‘Leviathan. Read my eyes.’

Rosetta sent her husband a dangerous look.

‘I want to stay on Khalid’s good side, so you cause a scene first. Delay the marriage as much as possible—’

“Haaah…”

At that moment, Leviathan let out a long sigh.

His expression was very dark.

Everyone’s eyes sparkled.

As expected.

In situations like this, the doting father usually objects first—

“Fine. I give my permission.”

“…?”

“Oh? Really?”

“Y-you…?”

Leviathan blinked blankly.

“What?”

Why did I agree so easily?

Then, suddenly, lines from a book flashed through his mind.

A child’s independence is the final goal of parenting!
So support and encourage what your child decides first!

—from Let’s Be a Good Dad! : Mental Care Skills for When Your Child Becomes Independent

Respecting and allowing a child’s choices is a key process that helps them internalize autonomy and self-determination. Parents must recognize and regulate their desire to intervene…

—from The Courage to Allow

‘When did I even read these books…?’

His memory was fuzzy.

It felt like they were always just… lying on his desk or the carriage shelf.

“Levi, what are you doing right now?”

Rosetta whispered fiercely.

“That’s what I want to know. What am I doing?”

“…?”

“But… this is a healthy family dynamic, isn’t it?”

He kept saying the right things.

“They’re all adults. They should live how they want. Freely. And if things get hard, they can always come back to their dad.”

“Then… can I get engaged this year and marry next year?”

“If that’s what you want.”

“Levi… atan?”

“O-oh…?”

“Father?”

…Damn it.

I was going to be a doting dad.

I was ready to be a troublesome father.

Since when did I become this reasonable?

Why am I getting more proper by the minute?

At that moment, Khalid, standing one step back, swallowed a strange smile.

‘Time travel…’

Not bad.

‘Well, it wasn’t my intention, but still.’

Back when the time warp first started, when they landed at Duke Zebert’s castle—

It seemed Leviathan of the past had read all the books Khalid had scattered around.

So… in a way, Khalid had achieved his own version of the time warp’s goal.

“I sincerely thank you for your permission.”

For once, Khalid made a vow with his whole heart.

“I will stake everything to make Rubian happy.”

Meanwhile, inside the cave with the time warp device.

“Alright, everyone, let’s work hard!”

Clink, clang. Clink, clang.

The Magic Tower mages were busy mining mana stones.

“Hii—! To think there were so many high-capacity mana stones buried here!”

“It’s a gold mine! A gold mine!”

“All hail our Magic Tower Lord! Seriously!”

Everyone was drunk on excitement.

The mana stones Rubian had discovered would definitely raise the quality of portable communicators tremendously.

Continent-wide communication might even become easy!

“But Lady Idelaine. What did Rubian—no, the Magic Tower Lord—say she’d do with this time warp device?”

Asha Drukan asked.

Once a key mage of the eastern region, now the chief mage of the Magic Tower, she still followed Rubian closely.

“It works, right?”

Idelaine answered.

“Of course. The Archmage left it fully activated, saying anyone curious could research it. As long as you have the will to activate it, anyone can use it. Why? Interested?”

Asha waved her hands quickly.

“Oh no. The Magic Tower Lord almost got into serious trouble. I’m fine with the present. Right now is good.”

“Same here. If we go to the past, the Demon King would still be alive.”

“Eek! Just hearing that gives me chills!”

“And if we go to the future…”

A white-haired old man chuckled.

“I might wake up underground.”

“…What?”

“I’d already be buried in a coffin! Hahaha!”

“That’s spicy.”

Very spicy.

Only someone with years could make jokes about lifespan like that.

After laughing for a while, Idelaine looked at the stone monument where the magic circle was still active.

“Well, the mana is already worn down. Even if we leave it alone, it should naturally disappear. At least within a week.”

“Huh?”

“What is it, Asha?”

“That person over there…”

Asha lifted her gaze.

Far away—

Someone’s silhouette was approaching.

That day, all the mana of the time warp device was exhausted.

It wasn’t natural disappearance.

Someone had moved the device.

It was activated twice.

Once to the future.

And once to the past.

I was sleeping soundly.

Then, I felt the bedroom door open quietly.

One side of the bed dipped.

“Mm… Kal?”

“Sorry. Did I wake you?”

“Yeah…”

Smiling, I wrapped my arms around his neck.

Khalid flinched, then carefully tucked the blanket around me.

“…Not yet.”

“What do you mean? You said you had somewhere to go for a bit. Did it go well?”

“…Well. Yeah.”

The chaotic time warp adventure was over.

Daily life quickly returned to normal.

Mom and Dad were suddenly close again, like they’d never fought.

My brothers returned to society, faithfully doing their jobs!

Grandpa went back to forging weapons like always.

‘Though Mom and Dad still seemed a bit confused because we messed with the past.’

“So… the one who was sick in the cave was you, Ruby? Not some white, mysterious… raccoon?”

“What are you saying?!”

Only then did they realize their edited memories were a little strange.

“Wait, then I was never engaged to twenty-year-old Leviathan? Oh my… no wonder things felt fuzzy. I rushed straight into marriage.”

“Hoho… huh? What’s wrong with you, Dad?”

“So in the end… the future me stole my wife’s first confession and first kiss? That bastard—”

“No, that bastard is you, Dad…”

“Either way, my past self got betrayed. By that shameless guy.”

“No, I’m telling you, that shameless guy is you right now…”

Dad spun for a while, trapped in the future-me vs past-me dilemma.

‘Anyway, everything turned out fine. That’s what matters!’

My extended vacation ended, and I was heading back to the Magic Tower soon!

I couldn’t wait to test the new mana stones found in the western continent!

And as expected, Kal and I—

“Heh, that tickles.”

“You pulled me first, Ruby.”

Before winter comes, we’re holding our engagement ceremony! A fun engagement party! Yay!

Khalid playfully showered my forehead and cheeks with kisses.

I laughed so much the blanket slipped down.

He suddenly stiffened and hurriedly grabbed the coat hanging on the chair.

“It’s kind of hot…”

“Absolutely not. You seriously overestimate me.”

“Huh?”

“If you knew how that beast talked about you—”

What is he even saying?

Khalid’s face turned tomato red.

He said he went somewhere… what did he even do?

“…Anyway, don’t provoke me too much. I really don’t want to hurt you.”

Yeah. He’s broken again.

I was wide awake now.

Wrapped like a gimbap in a thin shawl, I plopped onto the big sofa.

“I’m hungry.”

“Want something to eat?”

Khalid took out roasted walnuts from his pocket.

The snack we enjoyed on our recent date in the capital!

I immediately crunched into them. Sweet!

“Where did you get these?”

“Duke Zebert gave them to me.”

“Wow… looks like you went on another date with Mom.”

“Yeah.”

“Ah!”

Suddenly, my jaw froze.

“What’s wrong?”

“Now that I think about it… I remember where I’ve eaten these sweet nuts before.”

“Where?”

“Well… when I was eight. Before I met you. On the battlefield…?”