“Ow…”

My cheek was burning.

The pain was enough to make me whimper softly.

I thought I’d gotten used to pain, so why did this hurt so much?

Without realizing it, I started stomping my feet.

As I rapidly alternated between my left and right foot, Yeoreum approached me.

“Gyeoul, are you okay?”

“Y-yeah…”

Yeoreum removed the ring from my finger.

It was a ring enchanted with illusion magic.

As the ring disappeared, I returned to my original form.

“…!”

Jung Yu-na’s eyes widened when she saw me.

She seemed quite shocked to realize I wasn’t Yeoreum.

“Master…!”

“King!”

Gaeul ran over and licked my cheek.

Levinas circled around me, while Saebyeok gave me a worried look.

I appreciated their concern, but the problem was that the children still looked like me.

It was easy to tell them apart because of their distinct personalities, but with my cheek hurting, it all felt a bit disorienting.

“H-hey kids, could you take off the rings for a moment…?”

Yeoreum seemed to have the same thought as me and stepped in to stop the children.

Thanks to her, we were all able to return to our original forms.

“King! Your cheek is so red…!”

“I-is it…?”

How red could it be for them to react like this?

I rubbed my stinging cheek.

Gaeul was licking one side, so I could only rub the other.

Gaeul seemed to take this as some kind of signal and started licking the other cheek too.

So I couldn’t rub either side now.

“Hmm…”

The soft, chubby flesh of my childlike cheeks pushed up and then fell back down.

As I stood there, unsure how to react, Jung Yu-na cautiously approached me.

She had her hands clasped together as if in prayer.

“Gyeoul, I’m so sorry.”

“I-it’s okay…”

“I thought you were Yeoreum… I’m really sorry…”

Jung Yu-na kept apologizing.

Yeoreum’s body was quite tough.

Even if Jung Yu-na grabbed and shook her with all her might, it would probably just feel like a light poke.

I could fully understand why she had pulled my cheeks so hard.

“It’s alright. It was just a mistake.”

“Yeah… Does it hurt a lot?”

Was it because my face had turned red?

Jung Yu-na kept staring at my cheeks.

In this situation, saying it didn’t hurt at all would be a lie.

“W-well, it hurts a little… But really just a little…”

I waved my hand at Jung Yu-na, trying to reassure her.

But truthfully, it hurt quite a bit.

I’d experienced a lot of pain before, so why did this hurt so much?

Yeoreum answered my unspoken question.

“Oh dear, it must really hurt since Gyeoul has baby-soft skin…”

“Hmm…”

Does having delicate skin make you feel pain more intensely?

I found myself looking over various parts of my body.

My body was indeed soft like a child’s.

It looked like a body with absolutely no ‘muscular’ capabilities.

“Ugh…”

To think I’d feel pain from Jung Yu-na, who had no more strength than an average person.

My shoulders slumped.

My whole body felt weak.

I’d wanted to feel strong, but instead I realized just how weak I was.

I felt I needed to go home and rest.

“Can I go home and rest…?”

“S-sure…”

With Yeoreum’s permission, I trudged towards the elevator.

My family started to follow me but stopped at some point.

I could tell they were hesitating just from the sound of their footsteps.

I felt I should reassure them a bit.

“I’m really okay. I was just surprised.”

“O-okay… Get some good rest.”

Yeoreum nodded, speaking for everyone.

Jung Yu-na was covering her face with both hands, and the children were just rolling their eyes in this strange atmosphere.

The mood had gotten heavy because of me.

My shoulders felt even heavier.

I decided to apologize to everyone after regaining my energy through rest.

“Haa…”

That’s how I returned home alone.

I thought I’d be alone, but Sophia was sitting in the living room massage chair.

I felt relieved to know family was here.

“Sophia…”

I approached Sophia weakly.

Without hesitation, I sat on Sophia’s lap.

“Who hit you…?”

“No one hit me.”

“If no one hit you, why is your cheek so red?”

Sophia placed her hand on my cheek.

Her gentle touch didn’t hurt my cheek.

“There was just an accident.”

“What kind of accident?”

“An accident that happened because I’m too weak.”

“Hmm…?”

I told the confused Sophia about what had just happened.

How I’d tried to feel like a strong person, only to have reality hit me when my cheek was pulled.

But despite my whole story, Sophia still looked confused.

“Gyeoul, aren’t you strong enough already?”

“Well…”

I was decently strong.

In a nimble sort of way.

That was great too, but I wanted to experience the kind of strength an orc has.

I’d never once felt physically powerful.

“Do you perhaps want raw strength?”

“Y-yes…”

“Why’s that?”

“I’m not sure…? I guess you could say it’s just an instinctive desire…”

“I see.”

Pat pat, Sophia gently patted my stomach.

It was a soothing pat.

It made me feel sleepy.

“For now, get some rest. Nothing works when you’re tired.”

“Okay…”

Yawn.

I yawned and closed my eyes.

Every sound Sophia made sounded like a lullaby.

And so…

—

—

Sophia looked down at the sleeping Gyeoul.

She could understand why Gyeoul longed for muscles so much.

‘She’s lived her whole life being weak.’

A child who couldn’t do anything because she was weak.

It was only natural for such a child to want to become strong.

Though Gyeoul said she didn’t know why, it was clear there was a desire for strength within her.

Among different types of strength, she seemed to want the visibly apparent ‘muscular strength’.

Sophia felt a bit bitter about this.

‘Archers are cool too, you know.’

Archers were admired by those who pursued beauty.

In this country, which historically valued archery, the act of shooting a bow itself was considered elegant.

An archer who moved nimbly yet never lost their grace.

This seemed to be of no interest to Gyeoul.

It was because she had to live a life far removed from elegance.

‘At least it’s good that she doesn’t dislike archery.’

She liked archery, but it seemed she wanted muscle strength too.

This was impossible for the current Gyeoul.

After all, all of Gyeoul’s physical abilities were focused on agility.

“Hmm.”

Was there no way to comfort the child?

As Sophia pondered this, the others returned home.

It was Yeoreum, Jung Yu-na, and the children.

“Gyeoul…”

Yeoreum, who had called Gyeoul’s name as she entered, met Sophia’s eyes.

Seeing Gyeoul sleeping peacefully in Sophia’s arms, she closed her mouth.

It wouldn’t do to wake a sleeping child.

“Is Gyeoul sleeping?”

“Yes, she must have been very tired.”

Falling asleep when tired was one of Gyeoul’s traits.

Jung Yu-na felt guilty, thinking Gyeoul had fallen asleep because of her.

“I’m sorry. Because of me, Gyeoul…”

“It’s alright. Gyeoul’s lack of energy is due to a different reason.”

“Huh…?”

What reason could that be?

Yeoreum and Jung Yu-na expressed their confusion.

The children perked up their ears too.

Sophia shared her thoughts with them.

That Gyeoul had a longing for muscle strength.

“So Gyeoul was trying to vicariously satisfy that desire by becoming Yeoreum…?”

“Yes, and that’s when Yu-na pulled her cheek.”

“Hmm…”

It made her realize the weakness she had forgotten.

She must be quite disappointed.

Jung Yu-na could understand why Gyeoul had seemed so dejected.

“If Gyeoul wants to experience being strong, I think I might be able to help.”

“You, Yu-na?”

“Yes. There’s an excellent buffer in the wizards Association.”

If we push it, we might be able to let her experience great strength for a short time.

She hoped this would resolve Gyeoul’s complex about strength.

After all, being physically strong wasn’t necessarily all good.

—

—

“Gyeoul.”

My body was shaking.

As I carefully opened my eyes, I saw Jung Yu-na looking at me with concern.

“Mmm…”

I must have fallen asleep.

Still drowsy, I stumbled and ended up in Jung Yu-na’s arms.

As I hugged her tightly, Jung Yu-na let out a pained groan.

It was a groan full of agony.

“…?”

Was she hurt somewhere?

Startled, I looked up at Jung Yu-na.

Jung Yu-na was groaning in pain.

“G-Gyeoul, could you loosen your grip a bit?”

“What’s wrong…?”

“I accidentally dropped a magic item earlier. You must have absorbed it while you were sleeping.”

“I-I did?”

“Yeah. You seem to have absorbed it in your sleep.”

What kind of item did I absorb?

I found myself rubbing my chest and stomach.

I had no idea what I’d eaten.

“It’s an item that makes you incredibly strong.”

“Strong…?”

“Yeah. You’re so strong right now that I feel like I’m going to be crushed. Could you loosen the hug a bit…?”

“O-okay…”

I quickly loosened my hug but then froze in place.

It sounded like she meant I should refrain from hugging from now on.

“Huh?”

Does this mean no more hugs?

That can’t be right…

My heart started pounding.

Hugs were one of the joys of my life.

I didn’t want to give that up now.

I felt something had gone terribly wrong.

—

5/6 Enjoy the chappy!

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