I Was Kidnapped By The Strongest Guild
Chapter 323: Just Because I Like It

"Whine..."

Gaeul, who had been watching the dog video, started whimpering.

She didn't seem to want the chocolate, covering her mouth and shaking her head rapidly.

Her ears flapped from the speed of her head-shaking.

Was it because dogs shouldn't eat chocolate?

Beast-kin could probably eat it without problems.

But Gaeul might not know that.

I poked Gaeul's shoulder.

"Gaeul, it's okay for us to eat chocolate."

"No?"

So it wasn't about the chocolate?

Then why was she acting like this?

As I was thinking, stroking my chin, I remembered that Gaeul had eaten chocolate not long ago.

She ate it fine then, so it shouldn't be a problem now.

She must be acting like this for a different reason.

'If it's not about eating...'

Is she too full to eat?

My tail curled into a question mark as I couldn't figure out the reason.

"Master."

"Yes?"

"Gaeul too."

Gaeul stood up and ran to the kitchen.

When she came back, she was carrying a tray with cookies, milk, cups, and plates.

"Ah."

Gaeul opened her mouth wide in front of us, saying "ah".

Does she want us to copy her?

When I opened my mouth saying "ah", Gaeul put a cookie in my mouth.

Maybe Gaeul wanted to feed us rather than be fed.

Crunch crunch-

We ate the cookies while watching Gaeul's actions.

Then Gaeul started pouring milk into the cups and plates she had brought.

She filled some cups less than halfway, while others were filled almost to the brim.

The milk she poured into the flat plates overflowed onto the tray.

It was clumsy, but Gaeul had poured the milk diligently.

None of the children pointed this out.

"Gaeul, thank you. I'll drink it well."

"Thanks, Gaeul puppy!"

"Thank you too."

"Huh..."

Gaeul's tail wagged gently, probably because everyone thanked her.

Seeing her happy tail-wagging made my tail wag too.

I should give the milk in the cups to the children and drink the milk in the plate myself.

It would be inconvenient to drink milk from a plate.

I was about to reach for the plate, but Saebyeok grabbed it faster than me.

Lap lap-

Saebyeok lapped up the milk in the plate like a cat, sticking out her tongue.

While I was watching this, Levinas took the cup that was only half full of milk.

They must both be trying to be considerate of me.

I smiled and drank the milk Gaeul had poured.

The milk was deliciously creamy.

**

It wasn't until the next day that we realized Gaeul had become strange.

She peeled chocolates for Levinas who was watching TV, or caught fish from the pond and gave them to Saebyeok.

It seemed like she was trying to serve everyone.

If she was doing it for fun, that would be fine, but her urgent movements didn't seem like they were just for fun.

"Hmm..."

I wondered why Gaeul was suddenly acting like this.

As I was glancing at Gaeul,

"Master wait."

"Wait?"

"Yeah."

Gaeul nodded and moved towards the entrance.

She told me to wait, but it was hard to resist.

I followed Gaeul with the children.

Gaeul stopped at a spot slightly away from the tent.

She stood on soil that showed signs of digging.

"Huh."

Dig dig dig-!

Gaeul started digging the ground with her characteristic hand movements.

Seeing this, Levinas ran to Gaeul's side.

"Levinas too! Levinas too!"

Levinas dug the ground with Gaeul.

I watched this scene with Saebyeok.

Yeoreum approached us.

"Little ones, were you here?"

"Yes."

Yeoreum came closer and picked me up.

It feels nice because she's soft.

I rested my cheek against Yeoreum's chest and watched the children digging.

"Gyeoul, your sister might be late today. Want to go to bed first?"

"Will you be very late?"

"Yeah. We're going to scold some bad people."

"Um... will you be okay?"

Aren't bad people dangerous?

I looked at Yeoreum worriedly.

"It's okay. We're all going together. Jeffrey said he'd help too."

"Jeffrey too..."

Jeffrey was strong enough to compete with the Master.

Knowing he would help eased my worries.

"Will you be alright on your own?"

"Yes. I'll be fine."

"Okay."

Yeoreum patted my head, chuckling.

I saw a mask in Yeoreum's pocket.

It looked like the kind of mask robbers might use when robbing a bank.

Oh.

Are they going to wear that to scold the bad people?

Doesn't that make us look more like robbers?

"Hmm..."

Maybe it's better than openly revealing their identities.

As I was trying to make sense of it, Gaeul, covered in dirt, approached me.

"Masterrr."

Gaeul's pronunciation was more slurred than usual.

It was because she was chewing on something.

"Gaeul, what are you eating?"

At my question, Gaeul held out her hand.

On it were dirty bone fragments.

"Are you eating bones?"

Nod nod.

Gaeul just nodded silently.

Startled, Yeoreum patted Gaeul's back.

"Gaeul, spit it out! Spit!"

"Ack."

Gaeul spat the bone fragments onto Yeoreum's hand.

They looked like bones from the Naru meat we had grilled before.

"Gaeul, did you bury these to eat later?"

"Yeah."

"Oh dear... Your tummy will hurt if you eat old things."

"Hurt?"

"Yeah. If you eat this, both Gaeul and Gyeoul will get tummy aches."

Was she surprised to learn it would hurt?

Gaeul started looking noticeably flustered.

"Master...!"

Gaeul's ears drooped, probably feeling sorry for giving me bones that would make my stomach hurt.

I waved my hand at Gaeul, telling her it was okay.

"It's alright. I've eaten things like that many times before."

"...We shouldn't eat them from now on?"

"That's right."

We have plenty to eat now.

I nodded at Yeoreum and then turned back to Gaeul.

I felt I needed to ask why Gaeul had been acting strange lately.

"Gaeul."

"Huh...?"

"You've been working hard since yesterday. Is there a reason?"

At my question, Gaeul hesitated for a while.

Then, as if she had made up her mind, she clenched her fists tightly.

"Good doggy!"

Gaeul stroked the air.

She wagged her tail and smiled kindly too.

"Bad doggy!"

Gaeul's kind expression turned fierce.

She swung her clenched fist at the air and stomped the ground, going "Hah!"

Her attitude was different towards good dogs and bad dogs.

I could fully understand what Gaeul was trying to say.

"Gaeul wants to be a good doggy?"

"Yeah..."

"Hmm... That won't work."

"...?!"

Gaeul's ears shot straight up.

I couldn't help but chuckle at her cute reaction.

"Gaeul is already so good that it's hard for you to get any better."

"...?!"

Gaeul's ears stood up even more.

The only difference from before was that her tail was now wagging rapidly.

"You were working hard because you were afraid you'd become a bad doggy if you only played, right?"

"Huh..."

Gaeul wagged her tail in agreement.

It seemed yesterday's 'Your majesty' game was the cause.

"You don't need to work so hard. Gaeul is good just by being here with us."

"Huh?"

"Aren't you happy when you're with me and our family? I'm happy when I'm with Gaeul too. There's no way you could be bad when you make us feel happy."

"...!"

Gaeul's eyes widened.

Her expression looked like she had received a big shock and realization at the same time.

"It's okay to be lazy, and it's okay to work hard. I don't like Gaeul because of what you do, I just like Gaeul for who you are."

"Master...!"

Gaeul jumped and hugged me.

Since Yeoreum was already holding me, it ended up with both Gaeul and Yeoreum hugging me at the same time.

"Wow, Gyeoul is more mature than your sister."

"Hehe."

Yeoreum rubbed her cheek against mine.

Seeing this, Gaeul rubbed against the opposite cheek.

"Levinas too!"

Levinas jumped up towards Yeoreum.

Yeoreum easily lifted all three of us.

I wondered if Yeoreum could lift Saebyeok too?

I looked back at Saebyeok.

But Saebyeok...

Was just staring at us from a distance.

Something seemed off, but it didn't feel bad.

**

-I just like you for who you are.

Saebyeok kept replaying Gyeoul's words in her mind.

She was deeply shocked.

'I...'

When the children were doodling on the lab employee, Saebyeok had stayed back.

She didn't know how to treat the woman.

Honestly, at first, she wanted to get angry.

The reason she didn't was because she was afraid the children would be disappointed if they saw her angry.

A good older sister should forgive easily, right?

That's what would make the children proud.

Even though she knew forgiveness would earn the children's respect, Saebyeok didn't want to forgive the woman easily.

The resentment built up in her heart was too great.

If only she could pour out all her pent-up frustration, forgiveness might have been easier.

She couldn't even get angry for fear of disappointing her family, her younger siblings.

That's why Gyeoul's words hit Saebyeok so hard.

-It's okay to be lazy, and it's okay to work hard. I don't like Gaeul because of what you do, I just like Gaeul for who you are.

They'll like me no matter what I do.

Because that's what family is.

A spark ignited in Saebyeok's heart.

She would vent her frustrations, asking why the woman did those things to her, and maybe even give her a knock on the head.

And after that...

After that, she should forgive her.

Once she let out all her anger, the knot in her heart would loosen.

Because Saebyeok had a family that would love her no matter what she was like, she could finally end her long deliberation.

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