Hero Hunter is on Parental Leave C58

Chapter 58

“Baby. Is there anywhere that still hurts?”

“Not at all! When Dad touches me, it doesn’t hurt even a little!”

Hearing the snow leopard answer, completely absorbed in his father’s gentle hands, Yeongung’s expression darkened.

“Jaehee.”

At Yeongung’s calm voice, the snow leopard lifted his head.

“Why doesn’t my baby want to grow?”

“….”

“Is it because of Dad?”

“…No! It’s just—just because I like being a baby.”

Yeongung asked again, stroking the dejected snow leopard’s fur.

“Is it because you think Dad won’t love you if you grow bigger?”

“….”

Bertrand had told him to listen to the child, but Jaehee clearly wasn’t ready to open up yet. Yeongung gently smoothed the fur and pulled an ultrasound photo from his pocket, hoping to make it easier for his son to speak.

“Do you want to hear a story from long ago?”

“…Yeah!”

It was the image taken when Yeongung had first been diagnosed as pregnant.

“See this tiny dot here? That’s you, Jaehee.”

“…That’s me? That’s a lie! I wasn’t that small!”

“You were. When you first came into this world—into Dad’s belly—you were this tiny.”

Holding the photo carefully with his paw, the snow leopard stared at the dot with wonder.

“Jaehee, it might be hard to understand now, but growing is a very natural thing. And Dad loves our son no matter what he looks like.”

As Yeongung intended, the child slowly began to reveal his heart.

“No matter what…? But if I grow slowly, Dad likes me more…”

Jaehee clearly remembered what Yeongung had said at his first birthday party. Realizing his mistake, Yeongung sincerely apologized.

“Dad’s sorry. I said that because I didn’t want to miss you being little. I shouldn’t have said something careless like that.”

Meeting the snow leopard’s confused eyes, he continued.

“When you were just that tiny dot, when you were born looking like a little red monkey, when you rolled over for the first time, now—and in the future—Dad has always loved you, and always will.”

“Really…?”

Miha, sorry for breaking the secret, Yeongung thought, but helping Jaehee mattered more.

“Dad doesn’t lie to his son. And if we keep things like this, Jaehee will keep hurting. You can’t even sleep properly because of the growing pains.”

Perhaps the insomnia in his mental world was the reason Jaehee slept so much in reality.

“When Jaehee hurts, Dad hurts hundreds—no, thousands of times more. I’d rather be the one in pain.”

“…Dad can’t be sick!”

“You don’t like it when Dad is sick, right? Dad doesn’t like it when Jaehee is sick either.”

“….”

As if imagining Yeongung in pain, the snow leopard bristled and burrowed into his neck, kneading him with his paws.

“My little prince.”

“Dad.”

At Jaehee’s serious gaze, Yeongung swallowed nervously—only for the child to shout indignantly.

“I was never an ugly red monkey!”

Because I was always pretty!

Yeongung barely managed to hold back his laughter. Even this was just like Won Iheun.

What was he supposed to do with such a lovable life?

Gently grooming the tangled fur, Yeongung explained,

“You don’t have to grow fast all at once. You just need to accept your body’s natural flow—without forcing it down with power.”

“It’s hard… I don’t really get it. I just leave it alone?”

“That’s right. My smart boy.”

He loosened the knotted energy in the snow leopard’s body and tapped his forehead lightly with his own.

“Hehe.”

Then—

“Huh? Dad, your body’s turning see-through!”

Yeongung lifted his hand. His body was becoming transparent. Time in the mental world had run its course.

With what little time remained, Yeongung remembered Bertrand’s words.

‘The child has trapped himself within the affection you gave him.’

Calming the startled snow leopard, Yeongung said what mattered most.

“Baby, you don’t have to try to earn Dad’s love. Parents loving their child is natural.”

“….”

“And the most important person to Jaehee should be Jaehee himself—not Dad. Okay?”

“Yeah!”

Cream-colored fur fluttered as Jaehee nodded. Yeongung kissed him lightly.

“See you at home.”

Jaehee stared at his father’s radiant smile. Outside the window, the sun broke through the clouds—bright and clear, just like his heart.

“With Iheun-Dad too.”

Watching Yeongung fade away, Jaehee felt no fear. When he woke up, both dads would be there.

Curling back into the nest, hugging the memory orbs, Jaehee drifted into sleep. Graphin, the forest guardian, landed beside him, spreading warmth with his wings.

Hidden among Graphin’s feathers, Miha whispered softly,

“Sleep well, my little hero.”

“…Bye, Miha…”

Tears welled in Miha’s violet eyes. Both she and Graphin knew—this was the last time they would see the baby hero as he was now.

Yeongung opened his eyes.

Bright light poured in as he blinked repeatedly.

“Mr. Yeong, you’re awake. You’ll feel dazed for about a day.”

Bertrand, exhausted, checked his pupils.

“You nearly didn’t make it. Master Won insisted on entering himself. Even I can’t connect two people at once.”

At that moment, Won Iheun shoved Bertrand aside and rushed forward.

“Move.”

After checking Yeongung over, Iheun pulled him into a tight embrace.

“Do you recognize me?”

Holding Yeongung’s face, Iheun searched his eyes. Seeing his anxiety, Yeongung felt mischievous.

“…Who?”

Iheun froze—then grabbed Bertrand by the collar.

“Fuck—!”

“Won Iheun! Iheun!”

Yeongung stumbled as he got off the bed. He could’ve stabilized himself with mana, but let himself fall. As expected, Iheun let go and caught him.

“Bastard. I went too far.”

“If you don’t want my heart to stop, don’t joke like that again.”

“Sorry.”

Yeongung released a faint trace of pheromones and wrapped his arms around Iheun’s neck. Unable to smell them, Bertrand remained oblivious, while Iheun’s jaw tensed sharply.

“You just came back from Jaehee. Where did you learn tricks like this?”

Yeongung pushed him away and looked around.

“He’s sleeping very well. With the happiest face in the world.”

Only then did Iheun see Jaehee, fast asleep, clutching a handkerchief soaked in his parents’ pheromones.

Everything had returned to where it belonged.

“…I shouldn’t swear, but—I’m fucking happy.”

Bertrand watched the three of them with quiet satisfaction, unaware that he was standing in the worst possible place at the worst possible time.