<CHAPTER 7>

As Dubu scampered around the living room, full of boundless energy, the five adults gathered around the coffee table.

Warm tea was served to the adults, while the children each had a glass of juice.

Once everyone had settled, I was the first to break the silence.

“I honestly had no idea Dubu already had an owner.”

There was a good reason I had to speak first.

Everyone was looking at me as though I were a kidnapper… a puppy thief… the evil uncle.

“No, seriously! I met the little guy on the mountain. I thought he was a stray! He wasn’t wearing a collar or an ID tag. Who would’ve guessed he actually belonged to someone?!”

This was unbelievably unfair.

I’m not exaggerating in the slightest—I really did meet Dubu in the mountains. All I did was dream about living happily together.

He was the one who turned me down.

He was the one who came looking for me afterward.

…Though I was the one who shut the door so he couldn’t leave.

…Yeah. That technically does sound like kidnapping.

The moment I clamped my mouth shut, my sister’s glare sharpened.

“You went to the mountain?”

Ah.

That’s what she’s upset about?

“Ahem… I-I told you I went for a walk.”

“What kind of walk goes all the way up a mountain? That’s called hiking!”

“They’re basically the same. They’re both good exercise.”

“They’re completely different! Are you ever going to start taking care of yourself? If you keep this up, I’m locking you inside the house!”

“O-Okay… I got it.”

The instant my sister raised her voice, Jia and Jiwoo jumped in surprise and hurried over to cling to the young woman.

Even the woman claiming to be Dubu’s owner looked visibly flustered.

“First of all, I understand what you’re saying. You’re saying Peanut belongs to you, Miss… um…”

“Jina. My name is Seong Jina.”

“Right. You’re saying he’s your dog, Miss Jina?”

“…Yes.”

After stealing a brief glance at Dubu, Miss Jina reluctantly nodded.

Her eyes were warm…

Yet there was an unmistakable trace of something complicated hidden within them.

“More importantly… my child isn’t named Peanut.”

Ah.

So that’s what’s bothering her.

She seemed determined to correct the name, as if it genuinely irritated her.

But—

“He’s not Peanut! He’s Choco, unnie!”

“Umm… Jiwoo likes Strawberry. Right, Uncle?”

“I think Dubu suits him best. Besides, I was the first one to meet him, so the name Dubu…”

Not only Jia and Jiwoo, but even I insisted on our own favorite names.

Watching the completely uncoordinated battle over the puppy’s name, Miss Jina finally exclaimed in disbelief,

“N-No! My child’s name isn’t Choco, Strawberry, Dubu, or Peanut! It’s Arin! Arin! Seong Arin!”

“Wait… why would you give a dog a human name…”

“Because I wanted to!”

“Y-Yes… I suppose that’s your right.”

Well…

If the owner said so, then who was I to argue?

Still, that sounded far too much like a person’s name for a dog.

She’s got some unusual taste.

“There’s something I’d like to ask.”

After calming the indignant Miss Jina down a little, I asked,

“Are you really his owner?”

“What did you just say? Are you implying I’m lying? First you take someone else’s child home without permission, and now…”

“Hold on. You keep saying ‘home,’ but I found him in the mountains…”

Her sharp eyes glared straight at me.

It wasn’t merely the gaze of an angry person.

There was something almost beast-like about it.

The change lasted only an instant.

And apparently…

I was the only one who noticed it.

This is getting more suspicious by the minute.

On the outside, she looked like a woman around my age.

Beautiful enough that I’d have believed she was a celebrity—or at least an aspiring actress.

Yet despite that flawless appearance, an inexplicable contradiction lingered around her.

Something about her simply didn’t fit.

“Then show me proof that you’re really his owner.”

“Proof?”

Miss Jina tilted her head.

The fierce aura she’d shown moments ago had completely vanished.

Now she looked like nothing more than an ordinary young woman.

“What kind of proof do you need? Just looking at us, it’s obvious that…”

“No. It isn’t obvious at all. Besides, the world’s a dangerous place these days, and there are plenty of strange people around. A photo of the two of you together should be enough.”

If she truly owned Dubu—

No, Arin—

There was no way she wouldn’t have at least one picture with such an adorable puppy.

I’d only met him today, and I’d already taken over fifty.

My sister nodded in agreement.

“I do have pictures. But…”

After hesitating for a moment, Miss Jina lowered her head.

“I rushed out so quickly that I left my phone behind… so I don’t have them with me right now.”

“Hmm.”

Well…

If she’d realized her dog had disappeared and sprinted out without thinking, that wasn’t hard to believe.

“Then just go get your phone.”

“I can’t leave my child here any longer!”

“Even so, I can’t hand Dubu over to someone whose identity hasn’t been confirmed.”

Then I turned to Jia and Jiwoo.

“You two think the same way, don’t you?”

“Yep! Banatoki said so too! If there’s no proof, then it doesn’t count! You should always keep evidence so you don’t get scammed!”

Just who in the world is that blasted rabbit…?

Meanwhile, Jiwoo looked at her older sister with sparkling eyes full of admiration.

Once even the children agreed with me, Miss Jina’s face darkened.

“Why won’t you believe me?!”

“You want to know why? Here—stretch your hand out like this.”

I extended my hand beneath the table.

After a brief hesitation, Miss Jina did the same.

Immediately…

Dubu, who had been enthusiastically destroying the slipper he’d dragged in from the front door, came running over with a bright, cheerful expression.

Toward whom?

“That’s right, Dubu. We’ve only known each other for a day, but do you already like me more?”

“Huh?!”

Without the slightest hesitation, Dubu happily bit onto my finger.

I quickly scooped him up into my arms.

“And you still expect me to believe you’re really his owner?”

“Ugh…!”

Nestled comfortably against my chest, Dubu wriggled happily, letting out a contented little rumble.

That was all it took.

My nieces immediately rushed over.

“Uncle! Me too! Jia wants to hold Choco!”

“Me next! Me too, Uncle!”

“What did Uncle say? Dubu isn’t a toy… he’s…”

At the same time, Jia and Jiwoo shouted,

“A friend!”

That’s right.

A friend.

Not merely a pet—

A companion.

Family.

A friend who would stay with us.

That was why I’d made sure to teach the girls that lesson.

When I carefully placed Dubu into Jia’s arms, she held him with the utmost care, as though she were cradling someone precious.

Watching the scene, Miss Jina’s expression stiffened ever so slightly.

“Well… that’s exactly my point. Whether you believe someone or not shouldn’t depend on words alone. It should depend on evidence.”

“…”

After a long silence, Miss Jina finally nodded.

“Fine. So if I show you undeniable proof, you’ll believe me?”

“Yes. It’s already getting late, so if you bring your phone tomorrow and show us the pictures…”

“No.”

She interrupted me.

“I’ll show you today.”

“Do you live nearby?”

Even if she lived in one of the neighboring villages, it was still a fair distance away.

By the time she returned, it would already be completely dark.

The sun always set early in the countryside.

“It’s close…”

Then she looked me straight in the eye.

“Come with me and see for yourself.”

“What? Go with you? Who?”

Tilting my head in confusion, I asked.

She slowly raised a finger.

“You.”

Then she pointed toward the now-sleeping Dubu in my nieces’ arms.

“Bring my child with you. I’ll show you undeniable proof. That should settle it, right?”

—

In the end, I followed Miss Jina to verify whether she was telling the truth.

Leaving with Dubu weighed heavily on my mind, especially because my nieces clearly didn’t want to let him go.

And honestly…

As I alternated my gaze between Miss Jina walking ahead of me and Dubu sleeping peacefully in my arms, the question that had first occurred to me when we met resurfaced.

A question I hadn’t dared ask inside the house.

If anything…

Perhaps it was better that we were alone.

“There’s something I want to ask.”

After we had left the village behind and were nearly at the place she called home, I stopped walking.

Miss Jina turned around.

Behind her loomed Cheongwang Mountain, swallowed by immense darkness.

Her eyes shone an eerie sapphire blue.

The phrase haunted by ghostly aura had never seemed so fitting.

And yet…

For some reason, the sight felt strangely familiar.

A dry chuckle escaped my lips.

“You’re not a beast… so what exactly are you?”

“What am I?”

She smiled faintly.

“That’s the question I wanted to ask you first.”

“Oh, you’re speaking informally now. Well, I suppose I won’t mind. You seem to be quite a bit older than you look.”

“…”

At the mention of her age, her brows twitched.

But she didn’t deny it.

“What are you? Why do you…”

“I asked first. How do you…”

We both spoke at the exact same moment.

“…possess spiritual power?”

“…possess divine power?”

The instant those words left our mouths—

The divine power dwelling within Seong Jina erupted outward, spreading rapidly until it completely enveloped the space around me.