Chapter 04
“Name.”
“…Yes?”
“The name of you, now that you’ve become human.”
He was already human, so the question itself was strange. But young Hae-an couldn’t understand the meaning behind it and answered in a weak voice.
“Gang Hae-an.”
Hae-an, whose legs had given out, curled up his small body. At that moment, a thick envelope of money casually dropped in front of his feet.
“You little thing, why are you acting so pitiful in front of me? Gang Hae-an, get a grip.”
He was surprised for only a moment. After forcing down his fear, Hae-an looked up with questioning eyes. Bari clicked her tongue and crouched down in front of the child.
“Your dead father didn’t do anything wrong. Just take this as funeral money.”
“Auntie. I’m not a beggar.”
“What?”
“I don’t need pity or charity. Take it back.”
For such a young kid, his stubbornness was unbelievable. Bari laughed as if she couldn’t believe it, thinking maybe having the Gatekeeper of the Underworld as a past-life connection came at a price.
“Don’t act tough. Just put it on your father’s memorial table for three days. After that, use it for funeral costs or food, whatever. If some greedy bastards steal this money from you, I won’t stay quiet.”
“No, I said I don’t want it!”
Bari quickly overpowered Hae-an’s small struggling body.
“Do you even know how much money it takes when someone dies? You’ve got nothing, but your pride is huge, huh?”
She flicked his forehead while he huffed in anger and gave him a firm warning.
“And I know this isn’t something I should say to a kid like you, but don’t think about doing anything stupid.”
“…Stupid things?”
“No matter how hard life gets, just endure it. Live twice as hard for your father’s sake too. Got it?”
Young Hae-an was someone who had been reborn while still carrying unresolved karma from a past life. Bari knew that many painful hardships would come his way, and she was warning him not to ever think of ending his own life.
“…Hey.”
After hesitating, Hae-an grabbed Bari’s sleeve with his small hand and spoke in a trembling voice.
“I don’t know who you are… but I will pay you back for this money.”
“Is that all?”
“No. My dad taught me that when someone is kind to you, you must always say thank you. Thank you.”
Bari, slightly stunned, looked at the child’s unusually strong spirit.
Then she thought—maybe it was better if the child didn’t know who she was yet. He was still young, and maybe she could ignore the ridiculous tricks of the Jade Emperor for now.
“Don’t thank me. Thank the old man up there. He’s the real one backing you.”
She pointed at the ceiling of the funeral hall with irritation.
“We’ll meet again. So until then, live properly. And when we meet again, repay this kindness—but not with money. With something else.”
Bari wiped the tears from Hae-an’s eyes roughly.
“Why would I meet you again?”
The child seemed to ask with his eyes. Bari sighed and decided to be slightly kinder.
“Because I need to cut off this cursed connection between us.”
Holding both of Hae-an’s arms, she spoke like giving an order disguised as a request.
“If I ever ask you for help in the future, you must help me. Understand?”
My cruel husband Mujangseung, who killed my family and bloodline. My salvation depends on ending that disgusting relationship with him.
“You’re not the only one who lost parents. So don’t act broken. Grow up properly.”
She let go of his arms and calmed her red eyes.
“See you again.”
Hae-an nodded reluctantly and took a step back. In that moment, Bari disappeared like smoke from his sight.
And then, ten years passed.
Nineteen-year-old Gang Hae-an grew up under Woo Gwan-su, the close friend and partner of his deceased father. His life was so stable that “blessed” was a more accurate word than “comfortable.”
But fate never missed its mark.
During his final year of high school, just before entering the police academy, Hae-an was hit by a car accident and remained unconscious for over a month, hovering between life and death.
Doctors said there was no hope of recovery. Woo Gwan-su was devastated. But just when everyone gave up—
A miracle happened.
Hae-an’s unconscious mind, after ten years, called Bari once again.
“Begging to be saved… how pathetic.”
Bari appeared in the ICU, surrounded by golden butterflies, walking in with the sound of high heels.
“Mujangseung. You’re lucky. You had a weak-hearted woman as your former wife.”
Hae-an, barely conscious, moved his finger slightly. It looked like a desperate gesture.
“Like I said, I warned you. Live properly.”
Tears fell from Hae-an’s swollen eyes as pain flooded his body.
Bari blocked most of his pain but forced his mind to stay awake.
“Listen carefully, child. The pain you’re feeling now is nothing compared to mine.”
She spoke coldly.
“You’re just paying back a fraction of what I endured.”
When Hae-an suffered, she used her power to stabilize him, then withdrew her hand as if touching something dirty.
She didn’t keep him alive out of kindness.
Only because the Jade Emperor demanded she keep Mujangseung’s reincarnation alive for remarriage.
“To be honest, you’re just disposable.”
Then she leaned closer.
“I’ll tell you something interesting.”
“Gang Hae-an. You have a child.”
Hae-an’s eyes snapped open in shock.
“And you’re a married man with seven sons in your past life.”
Bari disappeared again from his sight.
Ten more years passed again.
Now in the present day.
Bari and Deok-jae had been tracking Hae-an’s life since childhood—through police academy, elite training, and his rise as a detective.
Everything was within her control.
“Seriously, Gang Hae-an. Ungrateful bastard. Do you know how many disasters I blocked in your life? And you can’t even agree to one remarriage request?”
Fate had been a living hell for Hae-an. But Bari had changed it—keeping him alive and stable with her divine power.
“So you regret it?”
“Yeah. I should’ve just let him take all the suffering himself.”
Deok-jae sighed.
The goblin Haetae and Bari sat in the car under heavy rain.
“Tomorrow night, prepare the spirit ritual. Jeom-rye will handle the altar, you handle the rest.”
“A spirit ritual again?”
“Yeah. A chaebol’s son died. I’ll guide his soul.”
Bari leaned back, looking at the night sky.
“I’m a mother too. I can’t ignore dead children’s souls.”
She touched the jade ring on her finger.
Her husband Mujangseung had given it to her long ago.
Hae-an, already irritated from recent encounters with Bari, couldn’t control his expression.
“You think making coffee is such a big deal? This is harassment in the workplace.”
His junior detective flinched.
“Team leader… do you know your nickname?”
Hae-an already knew but stayed silent.
“Hell cop. Or detective from hell.”
The junior sighed helplessly.
