chapter 37
A droplet, the size of a fist, floated in the air.
There were twelve droplets drifting like soap bubbles. I split them, and then split them again.
As a result, countless subdivided droplets spread in all directions, sparkling like dewdrops.
Delicately. Meticulously.
By the time the finely divided water spread wide like another sense of mine, so subtle that even passing butterflies wouldn’t notice it—
“Hyeon-ah!”
“Yes!”
At my father’s call, I let go of my concentration.
Looks like he got off work early today.
If I were in my dog form, my tail would have wagged happily. But in my human form, I expressed my emotions by hopping along with small bouncy steps.
Seeing me like this, my father gasped, then scooped me up into his arms.
“Even when you’re human, your hair moves like a tail. It’s so easy to read your emotions.”
Today my hair was tied up in a single ponytail, which apparently swayed like a tail.
Does it matter? I pressed my cheek against his, happy that he came home early.
“My beautiful daughter. I can’t believe you’re already seven…”
“Are you at it again?”
“But, my dear, our little one who could fit in the palm of my hand is growing up. Chuseok’s passed, and there are only three months until the next Lunar New Year. By then, Hyeon will be eight.”
“She’ll keep doing this until she’s grown up, won’t she.”
Mom approached, smiling as if she couldn’t resist, lightly kissed my father on the chin. I gasped.
“Shall we go in now?”
“Sure.”
I nestled into my father’s arms and formed droplets on my fingertips again.
Through the transparent bubbles, the winding garden looked magical.
Two years had passed since I awakened as a shaman in the snowy mountains.
After diligently training during these two years and becoming somewhat accustomed to magic, I felt the fleeting nature of time, just as my father said.
I was seven years old.
Seven years had passed since I was reincarnated as a dog.
I had been living in a whirlwind of activity.
As soon as one thing ended, another began. After the engagement ceremony, I faced new challenges in my shaman training.
The Hyun family had no shamans, so whenever I had questions, I either had to send a letter to Sobaeksan or wait until meeting him in person.
I could ask the Baek family’s shamans, but they mostly specialized in wind magic, so their help was limited.
Sobaeksan, being a high-level shaman nearby, was knowledgeable in water magic as well. Thanks to him, I received a lot of help from my clever fiancé.
By the way, Sobaeksan came to our house diligently whenever he had time.
The difference from before was that now he formally asked for permission before visiting.
Normally, he avoided the busy holiday itself, coming the next day or at a free time. But Lunar New Year was an exception.
He would stubbornly ride the wind to arrive on the holiday itself.
“Could I miss the day you were born?”
Because of that reason, I would prepare warm tea and wait for my fiancé who would brave the cold winter wind on Lunar New Year.
And I made a promise to myself:
I will grow tall. I will grow slender like Mom!
But somehow, my fiancé grew taller every time I saw him, even though he wasn’t bamboo.
After the engagement, our height difference never decreased. In fact, it often widened.
There was one unforgettable incident.
Once, when I made time to visit Homeikdo again, someone held in Sobaeksan’s arms said, “Your cousin is so pretty!”
That shock prompted me to awaken fully and change my stagnant growth method.
Catching villains outside was hard, meaning inside the house it was easier.
And back then, I was at the Baek family residence—the future home I would marry into!
“Sobaeksan, help me.”
“Anything you want.”
I scoured the Baek household, sniffing out all the villains in dog form, and reported them to Baeksan!
Baeksan was delighted by my list but asked with a slight unease:
“My future daughter-in-law, I have a question. Do I smell bad too?”
I told him he only smelled like the chilly winter wind. He looked very relieved.
Surprisingly, Baeksan was self-aware and knew he had a harsh personality.
After I thoroughly investigated the Baek family, I prepared for the next step.
Catching villains within my fiancé’s household alone wasn’t enough for my growth.
From the winter of my fifth year, I increased my outdoor activities.
Now that I was engaged and growing, there were many visitors curious about me. I used this as an excuse to attend family events and meet guests from outside as well.
Luckily, my father’s position involved meeting many outsiders. I pretended to serve refreshments while sniffing out bad people.
Visitors seemed to treat a young girl serving refreshments like a little game.
Indeed, even I would think it was cute. A tiny girl carrying a small tray spilling tea might earn claps and compliments.
I even received a decent allowance. My real joy, however, was catching villains.
Depending on where a bad person lived, I responded differently.
If a villain was from Seolgokdo, the special security force founded by my grandmother would investigate.
Haetae’s detection skills were so precise that they always uncovered the culprit.
Because of that, the special security force carried out irregular missions without complaint. They assumed my grandmother had competent informants.
Of course, a villain might not be from Seolgokdo.
Then, I couldn’t do much. I wasn’t a god.
But my grandmother’s network was god-level. She would hint to her allies in the villain’s territory that something strange was happening.
Surprisingly, one or two out of ten could be handled this way, allowing me to grow safely by age seven.
Life had been breathlessly busy.
“Eh.”
“Why the sigh from our beautiful daughter?”
After finishing the meal, Dad poked my cheek.
Even at thirty, Dad was still young and handsome. I poked back.
“I feel life is settling down, but maybe too monotonous.”
“Hm?”
A kind of existential anxiety from my past life. Having lived a rigid life, stability felt strangely unsettling. Dad blinked and called Mom.
“My dear, our daughter is already complaining about monotony?”
“Early puberty?”
“That won’t do, right?”
“Mm.”
Mom and Dad exchanged a glance and suddenly transformed into their beast forms.
I saw a massive gray wolf and an elegant black dog. I hesitated, but it was too late to run.
“Wait! Wait! Ahahaha!”
They attacked me, and I turned into a puppy. But nothing else changed.
“Woof! Yip! Arf arf!”
I was just a human being licked wildly… now a puppy being licked wildly.
After tumbling around the floor with Mom and Dad, I reflected.
Yes. Peaceful was better than constant incidents. I wasn’t Detective Ko or anyone—if every place had trouble, it would be exhausting.
“Guess who?”
While focusing, a large warm hand covered my eyes.
I, Haetae, couldn’t miss the approach. Pretending not to notice, Seon oppa was playing a prank.
“Seon oppa!”
“Correct!”
Seon oppa, now twelve, lifted me into the air.
Even as he aged, he could still pick me up. My limbs had grown, but his had grown even more.
“Whose younger sibling is this clever?”
Seon oppa’s maple-colored hair framed his excited face. I immediately answered, “Seon oppa.”
“See? I’m so glad to be with Hyeon.”
“Why? Did something bad happen at school?”
“Can you tell?”
“Kind of?”
Unlike Sion oppa, who kept a composed expression, Seon oppa sometimes showed his feelings openly.
I rubbed Seon oppa’s flashy, slightly pouty cheek. His faint gloom eased a little.
“You know, Hyung…”
“Why Sion oppa?”
“He’s made friends recently.”
Both cousins attended school a couple of days a week, with private tutoring at home for the rest.
Actually, school wasn’t mandatory, but Grandma insisted for social development.
Today, Sion oppa brought a friend from school.
“I feel uncomfortable around them.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know. Just uncomfortable. Even if I want to play, they don’t really include me.”
It was a minor issue. Sion oppa was fourteen, at the age to enjoy playing with friends more than siblings.
But I gazed at Seon oppa.
He resembled Baekmo—perceptive enough to work as a secret inspector.
“Should I check it out too?”
“Hyeon, you?”
“I trust Seon oppa. If something feels off, he’ll tell me if it’s a strange person.”
“Hyeon-ah…!”
Seon oppa hugged me tightly. A normal child would cry from the strength, but I survived because I was Haetae.
I patted the back of young Seon oppa’s broad frame.
Seon oppa and I first went to the family steward to request a tea tray.
“Oh my, more guests?”
“They’re Sion oppa’s guests.”
“I already served tea once, but boys that age eat a lot.”
The steward busied himself, filling baskets with snacks and a large teapot with iced tea.
“I’ll carry this.”
Seon oppa took the heavy teapot.
Not knowing I had strength to even break stones, the brothers always grabbed things from me. I appreciated it and hurried to Sion oppa.
Upon entering the parlor—
“Oh my! Seon-ah, Hyeon-ah! When did you arrive?”
The foul smell hit my nose, and I struggled to keep the tray.
Good heavens. Only minors were in the room, right?
And yet this smell?
As I hoped for peace, another incident hit, leaving me dizzy.
