The Villainous Director Is Raising a Child!

"Ugh… I think I'm going to die…."

My head was pounding as if it might split open, and my stomach was churning like it would heave everything up any second.

Just how much of that lethal liquor had I put away last night? My gut was screaming.

"Water… some water, please…."

The moment I flailed out in a cracked voice, a cold glass tip touched my lips.

Without even opening my eyes, I gulped it down desperately, like I'd stumbled onto the water of life.

Only once my burning throat was moistened did I feel like I might survive.

I hauled my heavy eyelids up with effort, and the first thing to fill my vision was a face framed in pure white — dazzling golden hair, clear blue eyes.

…? An angel…?

Just as I was drifting through that vacant, ridiculous thought, the angel before me spoke in a languid, dreamy voice.

"Are you all right…?"

That trademark floaty tone snapped me back to my senses in a heartbeat.

"H-Hunter Cheon Sarang?"

"Yes…. The Guild Master told me to come check on you… good thing I came……"

At the fresh wave of dizziness, I pressed my brow with a low "ugh," and she reached out a light hand toward me.

Paat—!

A warm, softly glowing light seeped in — and then my horrific hangover vanished, cleanly, as if it had never been.

So this is the majesty of an S-rank healer!

Blown away by a performance in a whole different league from anything you could buy at the drugstore, I cleared my throat.

"Ahem, thank you."

But instead of answering, Cheon Sarang fixed those blue eyes on my right arm, staring hard.

"…that must have been rather painful……"

The words hit dead center; I closed a hand around my right arm on reflex, but tried to play it casual.

"Well, I can manage. It's fine."

At that, she blinked slowly and tilted her head.

"That's not the kind of pain you just manage…. You're strong, Director……"

She stood there gazing at me quietly, as if I were some kind of alien creature, then added, soft,

"Be careful……. Getting used to pain — that's the most dangerous part……"

"Well…… yes. Thank you."

At my awkward answer, an odd silence settled over the room.

She stood there still, staring intently at me — no, more precisely, at my head.

Unable to keep bearing that unreadable look any longer, I finally cleared my throat and spoke up.

"Ah, ahem, was there something else you wanted to say?"

"Oh! …I should go. It's just… your hair color is pretty….."

Still murmuring in that languid, dreamy voice, she turned slowly to leave.

Her own hair is way more dazzling than mine — why is she staring at my head?

Marveling at the unfathomable workings of an S-rank mind, I watched her back as she moved off.

At the click of the door closing behind her, I let myself flop back down onto the bed.

The hangover being perfectly gone was great.

The problem was, my newly cleared head had immediately started replaying last night's memories in vivid detail.

Our Sea-ah… Sea-ah second-awakened….

No. The kids hate me. An adult who abused them…… how could they possibly like him. That can't happen.

"Waaagh!"

I kicked the covers off and thrashed around in sheer misery.

But the truly serious problem was somewhere else entirely.

My future? My future, huh…. My future is….

That, of all moments, was where the tape had cut out.

Please tell me I didn't blab that I was a transmigrator?

Or spill the plan about escaping too?

As the possibilities spiraled, a cold chill crawled down my spine.

This won't do. I have to go find Han Jewoon and check right now——!

Just as I was jumping up from the bed in a rush —

Kwang!

Along with a jarring bang, the door flew open and Cheon Sarang stuck her head in.

"Wh-what!"

At my startled reaction, she opened her mouth in that same slow, unhurried tone.

"Oh, that reminds me…… the Guild Master said…… to come to the training ground when you woke up……"

I'd been about to go find him anyway.

Pushing down the uneasy churn in my gut, I followed her without a word.

The training ground I stepped into behind Cheon Sarang boasted the same overwhelming scale I'd seen the day before.

And at the center of that enormous space, familiar faces were waiting.

"Direector!"

"The Director's here!"

The kids spotted me and came tearing across the floor.

"Direector! Today we're gonna train here! So cool! So cool!"

"The facilities here are amazing! I want to try out my ability right now!"

Bouncing on the spot, itching to unleash their powers this second — their giddy energy was filling the huge training ground to the rafters.

They're training here today?

If they were letting us use gear on this scale, we weren't about to say no……

Just as I was thinking it and lifting my head —

Off in the distance, the Bawi Guild members were lined up in formation, and my eyes caught them.

Then, standing dead-center among them, Han Jewoon strolled over with that trademark easy grin.

"Yo, friend. How's the body?"

"You sending Hunter Cheon Sarang saved my life. You? You looked like you put a fair bit down last night."

"Don't remind me. Been suffering all morning. If Hunter Sarang hadn't been around, I'd have been in serious trouble."

Han Jewoon let out a genuinely pained groan.

Pinning every last shred of hope on that reaction, I asked, careful,

"By any chance…… did I do anything stupid last night? Say anything weird?"

"Hmm, last night?"

He propped his chin in his hand and narrowed his eyes as if fishing through his memory.

Just as my heart shriveled up, Han Jewoon slowly shook his head.

"Ah, I got so wasted the tape cut out on me halfway through too. So whatever you said, I don't remember it. Don't sweat it."

I finally let out a deep sigh of relief and pressed a hand to my chest.

Sounds like I didn't get into the transmigration or escape stuff, then.

But the relief was short-lived.

Han Jewoon suddenly leaned in close and murmured against my ear.

"That said, the part about Lee Sea-ah second-awakening — that I remember, clear as day."

For an instant it felt like my heart dropped straight down to my toes.

Damn it, I said that?!

Watching me go bone-white, Han Jewoon flashed a playful, cocky grin.

"Don't worry. I'm not going to be blabbing about it. Instead——"

He met my suspicious look and, of all things, threw out an intriguing offer.

"How about we open it up to my guild members only, and get feedback on Sea-ah's ability? Actually, while we're at it — on all the little ones."

"Feedback?"

"Yeah. It's a Bawi Guild tradition. Basically the senior raid team sits in on the juniors' training and flags the weak spots. The people watching have serious combat experience, so it does wonders for their growth."

Direct feedback from the elite members of Korea's number-one guild.

Too sweet to turn down flat, no question.

But I couldn't just say yes on impulse either.

Letting it slip to Han Jewoon while drunk was one thing — I couldn't have Sea-ah's second awakening get out to the rest of the guild too.

More than anything, I haven't even asked Sea-ah herself what she wants.

Even when the world found out eventually, I planned to keep Sea-ah's name buried under lock and key — but before any disclosure, the child's consent had to come first.

"Give me a second."

I begged Han Jewoon's pardon for a moment, went over to Sea-ah, and carefully explained the situation.

To my surprise, she nodded without hesitation.

"I mean…… they're not the type to run their mouths, right? And feedback from the number-one guild? I'd take it in a heartbeat."

But even with the person in question giving the green light, my hesitation didn't lift easily.

Is it really okay to hand this critical secret to outsiders when we're this unprepared?

As I hesitated, lips moving without sound, Han Jewoon read my mind like a mind reader.

"Hmm……. Don't tell me you're worried our people might run their mouths somewhere? In that case——"

He suddenly turned and shouted behind him.

"Diamond Team! Assemble!"

At that one call, the scattered Bawi Guild members converged in a flash.

Seo Jihyeok, the Deputy Guild Master, stepped up, looking worn out.

"What is it this time."

"Jihyeok. You've got the Deceiver's Contract in your inventory, right?"

"I do…… but why are you asking for that all of a sudden."

"Just pull it out."

Behind his glasses, Seo Jihyeok's eyes narrowed.

"You do realize this is an incredibly expensive artifact, right?"

Wearing a deeply skeptical look, he pulled a worn strip of parchment from his coat and handed it over.

Han Jewoon casually took it with an easy "I know, I know," then, without hesitation, scribbled something across it.

Then, with a shameless look, he held the parchment out.

"There. Now — you lot sign it too."

Seo Jihyeok took the parchment and skimmed the contents at speed.

"Never to divulge the content of what Chae Junhyeok is about to say, for as long as he wishes it kept. Violation…… total loss of mana?!"

Once he'd finished reading, Seo Jihyeok let out a sharp yelp, unable to contain his shock.

"Guild Master, have you lost your mind?! Putting our mana on the line for a mere confidentiality clause?!"

Even under Seo Jihyeok's furious protest, Han Jewoon only wore that trademark impudent smile and shrugged.

"I mean, our Director's not going to feel safe unless we put up stakes at least this high, is he?"

At that, Seo Jihyeok's razor-sharp gaze snapped over onto me.

I shook my head furiously, radiating "this was absolutely not my idea" with every fiber I had.

At my violent denial, Seo Jihyeok pressed a hand to his forehead and let out a deep sigh.

"Haaah……. Whatever you tell us, I have zero intention of leaking it to anyone outside. And if this is just a confidentiality agreement, a plain contract would do — why go and burn a precious artifact on it."

Every last word was airtight, but the actual perpetrator, Han Jewoon, only whistled off into the distance, pretending not to hear.

In the end, fist trembling, Seo Jihyeok scrawled his signature onto the parchment in a fit of temper.

"Do I sign here?"

Kang San followed, swinging the pen with an easy flourish; Cheon Sarang and Choi Juran signed without a word of protest.

I felt a twinge of guilt over suddenly holding their mana hostage, but I couldn't help feeling reassured either.

I cleared my throat and spoke up.

"Ahem, ahem. Don't worry. I only need you to keep [the fact of Lee Sea-ah's second awakening] a secret [until I officially announce it]."

The moment the words landed, the [Deceiver's Contract] activated.

Paat—!

Along with a dazzling burst of light from the parchment, blood-red letters came slithering out like snakes.

The crimson script slicing through the air wound tight around the five people's necks, then slid smoothly under their skin.

The light dispersed and a brief silence fell over the huge training ground.

Then, one after another, the faces of the team members who'd heard my words filled with uncontrollable shock.

"S-s-s-second… second awakening? That was real?"

Even Seo Jihyeok — normally cold and machine-precise — stammered, face gone bloodless.

Perpetually languid Cheon Sarang snapped her eyes wide open, and hearty Choi Juran was frozen with her mouth hanging open.

And the first to shake off the shock was Kang San, who came storming over.

"Director, tha-that's for real?! Then can you do it for me?! Please, second-awaken me too!"

At the sheer force of it — like he was about to drop to his knees right then and there — I flinched backward, and just at that moment —

"Whoa there. Tsk. San, calm down."

Han Jewoon clamped a hand on Kang San's shoulder like grabbing hold of a lunging puppy.

"Don't put pressure on him. We're bending over backwards to keep him from running off as it is."

"Isn't there some way, sir?! Please, Director!"

Kang San was practically wailing, but Han Jewoon dragged him off mercilessly by the scruff of the neck.

When Kang San came back a little while later, he'd calmed down considerably.

But his eyes were still locked on me like a starving mastiff's.

And it wasn't just Kang San.

Even Seo Jihyeok — always so rational and composed — was watching me with eyes burning fiercely.

Taking those undisguised looks head-on, I understood in my bones.

The Awakened's instinctive competitive drive and their savage hunger to keep growing stronger, without limit.

If even Korea's top-tier rankers wanted it this desperately, the card called "second awakening" was something far bigger, and far more dangerous, than I'd realized.

Han Jewoon tapped my shoulder — locked stiff under the weight of that pressure — and grinned, impudent.

"Well, anyway, we'll keep the second awakening business under wraps as per the contract, so relax. All right, then — shall we take a look at how our little ones fight?"

Kwoong—!

Along with a boom that rocked the enormous training ground, the kids' virtual monster battle came to an end.

The virtual monster, shredded to ribbons under a merciless onslaught, dispersed into a cloud of light and vanished into the air.

That's our kids for you!

Anyone could see the performance had been overwhelming, without a hint of a weakness.

Squaring my shoulders proudly, I turned to the guild members behind me with a beaming face.

How about it? Our kids are no joke, right? — my eyes practically brimmed over with the expectation.

But the reaction that came back was completely opposite to what I'd imagined.

"That was rough."

Seo Jihyeok pushed his glasses up and cut in flatly.

"Um……. Honestly, at that level, it'll be a real struggle."

Kang San scratched the back of his head, wearing a troubled look.

"Guess Gates are off the table for a while, huh? Ha ha."

Choi Juran let out an incredulous laugh.

"That's a real problem…."

Even Cheon Sarang drove the last nail in, mercilessly, in that languid voice of hers.

Up till now I'd been hearing nothing but praise poured over the kids until it wore grooves in my ears……

Under the pitiless barrage of criticism raining down from Korea's most formidable guild, I felt my mind blank out completely.

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