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Chapter 5 - Chapter 5 – Life Isn’t Easy for “Cha”

The little boy had already fallen asleep not long after recounting the tale of his cruel mother… He hadn't even had a proper conversation with his biological father to truly confirm their relationship, and yet his small body gave out. His voice grew softer and softer, and his frail frame began swaying more and more until, before anyone realized it, the child who had been speaking so sweetly was already curled up beside the Wakaba family's young master, fast asleep in a ball like a tiny kitten.

It was no wonder—after all, Cha had been tense the entire day. Not to mention the ten grueling experiments he had been forced to endure every day, he had also busied himself preparing for escape, endured the headache of realizing he was inside the original novel, and finally forced himself to stay awake long enough to act cute before his father and butler. Just that alone had drained him of nearly all his strength.

So, once the moment to relax came, even though his soul was that of an adult, his small body could no longer withstand the exhaustion, both physical and mental, that had weighed on him for almost five years straight.

"Mmm…"

By the time the little boy opened his eyes again, he found himself carried in the strong arms of the handsome butler, being taken into an old Japanese-style mansion hidden deep in misty mountains. He wasn't even fully awake before strangers surrounded him—touching, checking, and even using odd tools and appraisal skills on him until everything became a confusing blur.

"This child is actually in excellent health, Chief. If it weren't for the obvious external wounds and signs of malnutrition, no one would ever guess what he's been through. Besides those, there's hardly anything left for me to heal." The man in blue who had spent a long time examining Cha spoke seriously.

"Is this the result of those experiments?" asked Ken, who sat beside the boy. He had heard more than enough about the so-called 'successful experiments,' and worried that his young master might have been altered by those inhuman trials.

"No, not at all, Mr. Butler. His body is completely normal. In fact, there are clear traces of abuse. I can confirm without doubt that he suffered no side effects from the experiments—except for his ears. They've changed, likely due to receiving elf or siren blood. It's similar to cosmetic surgery: appearance altered, but nothing deeper. No changes to his body, cells, or even down to the nanoscale." The A-rank healer, gifted since birth with S-rank Healer's Eyes that could perceive even nano-cell abnormalities, answered with confidence.

"I see. That's good."

Ryo, silent all this time, removed the demon mask from his face, slowly revealing features so flawless they seemed sculpted by the gods themselves—piercing ruby-red eyes infused with the power of the God of Slaughter, a sharp nose, pale pink lips, and silver hair like moonlight. His beauty surpassed even the most famous actors or models of Cha's previous world.

"Woooow…"

"Drooling."

"Eh? N-no! I'm not drooling!" Cha jerked up in alarm, wiping his mouth quickly at his father's deadpan warning. Finding no actual drool, he pouted and protested, drawing chuckles from several in the room—amused by the rare, playful exchange between father and son.

"Hmph. All your teeth are intact, yet your tongue is sluggish. Is that also the experiment's fault?" Ryo crossed one leg over the other, eyes narrowing at his son, making the boy bristle as if ready to challenge him.

"Not exactly, Chief," replied Triphop, another healer of the Wakaba household. "The child has nerve damage from repeated electric shocks. That's why some sounds come out unclear. But with training, his speech should improve. It may take until he's seven or eight years old, though."

"Electric shocks? Do you mean… from his mother's lightning?" Cha tilted his head innocently, blinking his big eyes while slyly exposing Pitcaya's cruelty further, eager to destroy the so-called destined romance.

Everyone turned toward him at once.

"Do you mean the lightning inside you came from your mother?" Ken gently stroked the boy's rough, poorly kept hair and asked softly.

"Yes! Mama often zapped me with lightning. It hurt a lot, and I'd twitch and drool all over. But she said it wouldn't leave scars, so nobody in the white coats knew. Shhh~" He pressed a tiny finger to his lips, even imitating convulsions in an adorable performance that made everyone's heart ache.

The room grew tense—sympathy for the child mixed with dark looks toward the father, who had just mocked his son's speech earlier.

"Ahem. Don't worry, young master. You won't be hurt again. I'll heal the scars too. It would be a shame for a 'pseudo-female' like you to be left marked forever." The healer quickly changed the subject, wary of the suffocating aura Ryo was emitting.

'Pseudo-female'—a gender born after the apocalypse, when women had perished in vast numbers. Desperate to restore balance, researchers experimented with dungeon items that altered sex. Eventually, they succeeded in allowing men to conceive, creating what society called 'pseudo-females.' Outwardly male, they were smaller, more delicate, and equipped with both wombs and menstrual cycles.

Over time, natural births of pseudo-female children began, ensuring their place in society. Even Ryo's legal spouse, Polles di Zenmore, was one. And now Cha was another within the Wakaba household.

"Treat him completely." Ryo's expression remained unreadable as he issued the order.

"Ehh? But why are you calling me 'young master'? I'm not 'young master,' I'm Cha! My name is Cha Leaf, not 'young master!'" The boy tilted his head in confusion, repeating the title curiously.

The room fell silent—many remembered he had earlier accused his father of being a 'bad man.'

"Because I'm your father, and their master. If they call me 'young master,' they'll call you 'young master' too." Ryo answered coolly, noting how much the boy's face resembled his own mother's.

"Ohh! So you're the bad daddy who bullied Mama!" Cha clapped his hands in sudden realization, shocking everyone—including Polles, who had just returned from clearing a dungeon and overheard from outside.

"It was she who forced herself on me. Don't ever call that filthy woman your mother again. She's unworthy." Ryo's voice was calm but edged with disgust.

Cha scratched his head in confusion. "But Mama said Daddy bullied her… and now Daddy says Mama bullied him… Cha is confused!"

"Then who will you believe?" Ryo raised an eyebrow. Secretly, he wondered if the boy doubted him, he might just send him away altogether.

"Hmm! Even though you're weird and hurt me a little before, you don't shout at me or make me suffer like Mama or that aunt. So I'll believe you, Daddy! I'll even let you be my Daddy officially! Hehe! Cha is a good boy—easy to raise, strong, no need for fertilizer or water! You're lucky to have me!" Cha grinned, thumbs up, utterly adorable—though his father's brow twitched more than once at his choice of words.

"Young master, the guest house is ready," a maid interrupted politely.

Ryo simply said, "Clean him properly and let him rest." He made no move to help, of course.

The maid coaxed Cha gently, but he only agreed to go after the healer accompanied him. Ken longed to follow too, but he stayed, knowing serious discussions remained.

"…About the young master." Once the boy was gone, Ken broached the subject. He and Ryo exchanged a few words about Cha's suffering in the lab—words Polles, still outside, overheard.

At first, Polles had been displeased at the thought of Ryo bringing home an illegitimate child. But upon realizing Cha's tragic circumstances, and recalling how little he cared for Ryo anyway (often cursing him in secret), he found himself pitying the boy instead. With his own son already grown, Polles no longer minded Cha's presence—if anything, he felt sorry for the child, burdened with such parents.

"And what about Madam and young master Zen?" Ken finally asked.

"I'll tell Polles myself. You just report to my parents." Ryo replied flatly, mask in hand.

Creak…

At that very moment, Polles decided to open the door and step inside. He knew well that continuing to eavesdrop would be meaningless… It would be far better to go in directly and hear for himself what that good-for-nothing husband would say about the child with no origin.

"Pol."And of course, just as the tall newcomer was about to stride past everyone as if he hadn't seen a single soul, Reo swiftly called out to stop him.

"What??"The handsome, gentle-featured man with a tall and slender figure turned back to look at his so-called husband with a puzzled expression.

"It seems I have another child. That child's name is Bai Cha. I just brought him back today. So I thought I should let you know… That's all."The large-framed man spoke frankly, his words bringing the entire room to an abrupt halt. Everyone turned in unison to stare at their master in disbelief.

Even Polles himself twitched at the corner of his mouth when he heard it. After all, if it had been any other proper wife, hearing such blunt words would most certainly have ended in a family torn apart.

"And so what??"Yet because this was a household that had been unusual from the very beginning, the legal wife—Young Master de Zenmor—simply raised an eyebrow and asked his husband in a calm, detached voice, as though he truly did not care.

"I'll be introducing him. So I thought you should be informed beforehand. No problem with that, right?"Lord Wakaba's tone was nothing like a request for his spouse's consent. It sounded more like casual small talk about the weather.

"Do whatever you want. Just make sure that if society points its finger, it's only at you and that woman—no one else."The spouse replied in a cool voice, gave a faint smirk, and then turned away, walking toward his own quarters deeper inside the residence.

"Oh, Young Master…"The attendants could only lift their hands to their temples in exasperation, not knowing what to do. They truly had no idea how much longer this strange marriage would remain as it was.

In truth, they didn't even know whether Polles would really refrain from causing any trouble, despite his husband having brought an illegitimate child into the household. The problem was, even if they were suspicious, they couldn't ask—because it was simply not the place of subordinates like them to interfere.

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Side scene

Bai Cha: "You're really lucky to be my daddy, you know…! You won't ever find a kid as cute as me anywhere else!!" //puffs out chest proudly

Reo: "Oh, really?" //narrows his eyes at him

Polles: "With a mother like that and a father like this… sigh, what a truly pitiful child." //lets out a long sigh

Chapter 5 END

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