“…There are other empty seats, but why the fourteenth?”

Though he wanted to maintain a dignified demeanor, Kang Ihyeon, smiling brightly, took the fourteenth seat just in front of his grandfather. The household staff efficiently served salads and appetizers. Kang Ihyeon placed a napkin on his lap and began eating.

“Hey, Hyun-ah, are you okay? Heard you got hurt?”

As soon as Kang Ihyeon started eating, the small uncle immediately asked, circling around the topic of his health. Anyway, this person always brought up my weaknesses first.

“We heard the news that you were hospitalized for a few days. We were worried every day. What happened?”

The aunt sitting next to him wiped her mouth with a handkerchief as she spoke. She seemed more pleased to find a flaw in her nephew than worried.

“What happened? Did this kid do something bad again? No, was he a bad guy from the start?”

“How great is our cousin as a hunter, you shouldn’t say that.”

“Well, he’s excellent~ Found a good Archangel, so his life is turned around. Anyway, does the Archangel have peculiar tastes, or did he come to fix our cousin whenever he has bad intentions?”

The cousin chuckled. Although the uncle advised him not to be rude, he didn’t seem genuinely disapproving.

The Archangel went on a rampage through indirect messages.

[High Seat, the Wand of Purification curses him!! It swears that he will definitely go to hell, tearing off his arm!] [High Seat, the Wand of Purification says not to worry too much; we always love you and gently stroke your head.]

‘I know. Don’t worry; I don’t get angry now.’

“Come to think of it, Ihyeon really stands out among us. Probably because he’s the only blond one. He’s tall and handsome, so always make an effort in appearance management. If you marry a girl from a good family, it won’t be a slope in our house.”

“Yeah, Ihyeon, how about gradually quitting the hunter job now? No matter how much money you make and how handsome you are, there aren’t many households that like a husband who works with his body. When it’s hot, work in a cool place, and when it’s cold, work in a warm place. Finish college a bit. It’s not too late to take the college entrance exam.”

“Yes, thank you for the advice. I’ll think about it.”

Even when the seemingly concerned couple drew a clear line and ignored him, Kang Ihyeon just smiled. It had to be overlooked. Not picking a fight here was a long-standing living point gained through experience, knowing that stirring trouble only led to insults.

Despite having regained his abilities, Kang Ihyeon felt his stomach churn again. It seemed like stress was the cause.

After the appetizers, hamburger steak was served. When Kang Ihyeon looked at it with a bit of confusion, the third uncle explained.

“Oh, our kid had a dental treatment a few days ago, so it’s hard for him to eat steak right now. Can’t you understand?”
“Ah, of course. Hyung, how are your teeth now?”

Kang Ihyeon skillfully picked up the second knife and fork. After the relatives’ small talk concluded, Grandfather spoke.

“Yeah, I went to the military shrine this time.”

“Yes, Grandfather.”

“How was it? They said you made quite a contribution there.”

Did the rumors reach there? Kang Ihyeon, who thought so, cut a piece of hamburger steak and put it in his mouth.

The uncle and aunt who run an electronics subsidiary looked at Kang Ihyeon with smiles.

It was time for the main topic to come up. Whether there were cracks to dig into in the military shrine.

‘Contribution? I thought I was going to die.’

Kang Ihyeon wiped his mouth with a napkin. Then, he smiled as if nothing happened.

“Well, I just went through it more or less. The system was excellent.”

‘Not particularly excellent.’

“Is that so? There were rumors that you were seriously injured, but you seem healthy.”

“Yes, he’s very healthy. So, don’t worry.”

Smiling calmly as if not giving any room for concern, Kang Ihyeon looked at the cross hanging on the wall behind Grandfather.

The people in this house wanted too much. They were never satisfied with what they had, always greedily wanting more.

Kang Ihyeon looked at the cross on the wall behind Grandfather.

It seems like it’s harder for a rich man to enter heaven than for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle. Nevertheless, it felt like our family members were all heading to heaven despite everything.
Despite the increasingly twisted feeling in his stomach, Kang Ihyeon didn’t wipe the smile off his face as if everything was fine.

Seeing his smile, Grandfather suddenly burst into laughter.

“Well, that’s good that you’ve gotten healthier, Ihyeon.”

‘… What? Why is he suddenly like this?’

Suddenly, Kang Ihyeon looked at Grandfather with a feeling of even more discomfort in his stomach. Grandfather was genuinely looking at Kang Ihyeon with joy.

“No, your third cousin said he couldn’t eat anything tough, so I asked the chef to add plenty of milk to the dish.”

‘Ah.’

Kang Ihyeon suddenly tightened the grip on the knife and fork he was holding.

The third uncle was smiling. The dental treatment was just an excuse.