Sophia continued stroking Gyeoul’s head for a while.  
Occasionally, she hugged Gyeoul’s upper body, nestled on her lap, tightly.  

**“It’s all the adults’ fault.”**  

How could it be a child’s fault for not knowing the ways of the world?  
Sophia showered Gyeoul with affection until she felt completely at ease.  
Gyeoul, not seeming to dislike it, simply lay still.  

**“Hmm…”**  

Their eyes met, and Gyeoul smiled softly.  
Her innocent gaze brought an involuntary smile to Sophia’s face.  

A child so pure, one who could make even the most jaded heart skip a beat.  
It was unfortunate that Gyeoul herself didn’t realize this.  

**“She’s never experienced long-lasting love.”**  

Other children, when showered with affection, would do things to receive even more.  
But Gyeoul, unfamiliar with being loved, had developed a surprisingly tough personality.  

She knew how to end a life without hesitation, and she didn’t mind when her body was hurt.  
Most challenges that came her way, she tried to resolve on her own.  
It wasn’t until she had a gaping wound in her stomach that she’d finally ask for help.  

**“She’s not used to receiving help.”**  

Gyeoul was a child unaccustomed to leaning on others.  
Solving everything alone was simply her norm.  

While some children had an issue of being overly dependent,  
Gyeoul seemed to lack even the minimum level of reliance on others.  

Sophia, after some thought, decided to teach Gyeoul how to depend on people.  

“Gyeoul, you did very well last night.”  

“Last night?”  

“Yes, when you woke everyone up to help Levinas.”  

“Oh, that. I couldn’t do it alone.”  

There had been no other way to save Levinas.  
It wasn’t something Gyeoul felt deserved praise. She fiddled awkwardly with her tail.  

“From now on, if you find something too difficult to handle on your own, try asking those around you for help.”  

“You mean family?”  

“It doesn’t have to be family. You can ask other adults around you too.”  

When Gyeoul asked for help, it carried a lot of weight.  
She was the kind of child who awakened a strong protective instinct in adults.  

“But strangers… I don’t think they’d help me…”  

“How could that be? Surely someone will want to help.”  

“They’re strangers, though…”  

Helping strangers wasn’t easy, was it?  

As Gyeoul tilted her head in doubt, Sophia pressed her fingers gently against Gyeoul’s nose.  

“‘Please help me’ is much more powerful than you think.”  

“…Alright.”  

It was true.  
After all, the Dawn Guild had helped her when she needed it.  
Perhaps, by sheer luck, one or two people might offer help.  
Gyeoul decided to trust Sophia’s words.  

“Now, repeat after me: ‘Please help me.’”  

“P-Please help me?”  

“Well done.”  

Sophia stroked Gyeoul’s head, and her white ears twitched energetically.  

“Oh my, I must help now,” said Midsummer with a grin, appearing from the kitchen.  
Gyeoul wagged her tail in response, expressing her delight.  

“I’ll help you too if you ever need it.”  

“Hehe, thank you.”  

Midsummer sat on the sofa, lifting Gyeoul’s ankles onto her lap.  
Gyeoul’s small white toes wiggled slightly.  

“I’ll ask for help if I need it, but honestly, isn’t helping others really hard?”  

Helping others was something Gyeoul had always done, even when it wasn’t easy.  
Sophia smiled faintly but kept her thoughts to herself.  

“…Still, make sure you ask for help when you need it.”  

“Yes…”  

Life was unpredictable, after all.  
Asking for help might not be a bad thing.  
Gyeoul nodded, signaling her understanding.  

For now, she decided to stay where she was, soaking in the warmth of those around her until it was time for lunch.  

—

### The Day Unfolds  

The children eventually woke up, and together we had lunch.  
After finishing our meal, we went to the park to play.  

Per Levinas’s request, we dug into the ground and rode on a carrot-shaped boat.  
Though it was a game they often played, Levinas still hopped around in excitement.  

“Wang-ah! This is so fun!”  

“Really? Did you enjoy the boat ride?”  

“No! Playing with you and the King of Shadows was the fun part!”  

“Oh…”  

It wasn’t the games but spending time with us that Levinas enjoyed.  
The realization hit me like a bolt from the blue.  

“Wang-ah, did you know? Levinas loves playing with the kings most of all!”  

“Yes. I love playing with Levinas the most too.”  

I reached out and gently patted Levinas’s head.  
For some reason, beastfolk seemed to feel happiness when their heads were stroked.  

Why was that?  
I’d have to ask Sophia about it later.  

Just then, Saebyeok prodded my waist.  

“….”  

She didn’t say anything, but I knew what she wanted.  
With my free hand, I patted Saebyeok’s head.  

“Of course, I love Saebyeok the most too.”  

**Purr.**  
A soft, feline sound escaped Saebyeok’s throat.  
I knew it was the sound cats made when they were happy.  

“As I always say, Saebyeok, you really are like a cat. You even make cat sounds.”  

“Yes, but don’t you make cat sounds too, Gyeoul?”  

“Uh… what?”  

Apparently, everyone thought I had made cat sounds at some point.  
When did I ever do that?  

**Purr.**  
I tried mimicking Saebyeok’s sound out of curiosity.  
It didn’t sound very cat-like.  

Were the others just mistaken?  
As I pondered this, Levinas flailed her hands around.  

“I can’t seeee!”  

Her long rabbit ears had flopped over, covering her eyes.  
It was my fault for pressing down on them.  

“S-Sorry.”  

I quickly released her ears, but Levinas grabbed my hand and placed it back on her head.  

“Wang-ah! Don’t take your hand away!”  

“Uh, okay…”  

It seemed Levinas preferred head pats over being able to see.  

For about two minutes, I just stroked the children’s heads.  
Surprisingly, my arms weren’t tired, likely because of all the practice I got shooting arrows.  

“This time, Levinas will— Wang-ah, there’s something on your clothes.”  

Levinas reached for my shoulder.  
The thread on my worn-out shirt had come undone, likely from the patchwork stitching.  

“Looks like the stitches came loose.”  

“Gasp! Do we have to sew it again?!”  

Levinas grabbed the thread and started pulling.  
She was so skilled that the thread didn’t break, unraveling cleanly instead.  

“Levinas, don’t pull it like that. You need to grab it firmly and snap it.”  

“Like this?”  

**Pop!**  
Levinas tugged at the thread, ripping it off with impressive strength.  
Her hands, rough from digging earlier, made quick work of the stitches.  

“…!”  

From my left shoulder to my thigh, the shirt unraveled, slipping off like a gown.  

“Ah!”  

I caught the fabric just in time, avoiding complete embarrassment.  
Though the side of my body was exposed like a split cheongsam, I managed to save my dignity.  

“S-Sorry…”  

“It’s fine. I was planning to mend it anyway.”  

“Really…?”  

“Yes. Why don’t you two keep playing? I’ll be back after fixing this.”  

After reassuring Levinas and patting her head, I headed home, clutching my shirt to keep it from falling apart.  

One step.  
Then two.  
As I got out of sight, the threads began unraveling further.  

**Rip.**  
The remaining stitches gave way, and the shirt threatened to fall apart completely.  

“…This isn’t good.”  

If this happens here, I’ll be in big trouble.  
Breaking into a cold sweat, I instinctively hid in a nearby bush.  

Sophia had told me to ask for help in times like these.  
Peeking out, I spotted a familiar adventurer walking by.  
Mustered up some courage, I called out from the bushes.  

“E-Excuse me…”  

—

The adventurer, Gu Ja-seong, was heading toward the park for a break.  
Hearing a child’s trembling voice from the bushes, he stopped in his tracks.  

“Yes?”  

He turned to see the famous child crouched in the bushes, gazing up at him with tearful, pleading eyes.  

What in the world happened?  
As he approached, Gu Ja-seong was struck speechless.  

“P-Please help me…”  

There stood Gyeoul, wearing a shredded shirt, her voice trembling.  

Though she wasn’t actually crying, Gu Ja-seong couldn’t help but see her as a child on the

 verge of tears.  

“…What the…”  

Who could’ve done such a thing to her?  
In this park, no less? His eyes widened in shock.  

“Your clothes…”  

“W-What! Who did this?!”  

The adventurer’s loud voice startled Gyeoul, making her tremble slightly.  

Ah.  
Gu Ja-seong realized his mistake and felt a wave of dizziness overcome him.  

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep