Yeomyeong Park was vast, and with that size came a variety of incidents.  
Drinking in restricted areas, public displays of affection—behavior that often made other park visitors frown.  
At times, the park would attract individuals of poor conduct.

Yet, today, a part of the park was unusually quiet.  
There wasn't even the usual chatter from couples or families.

With so many people around, why is it so silent?  
Choi Jinhyuk, who was patrolling the park during his break, realized that the eyes and ears of the people were focused on one place.

‘That’s…’

Sitting on a bench was none other than Gyeoul, who had been a topic of conversation in the area recently.  
Next to her sat the horned rabbit girl who had arrived just recently.

No approaching.  
No taking pictures.  
No talking to them out of curiosity.

Visitors to the park had made their own rules to protect the children.  
One of them wasn't even a child, but an elder.

But why were all eyes on them today?  
Choi Jinhyuk wondered as he made his way behind Gyeoul and soon found the answer.  
The horned rabbit girl sitting next to Gyeoul was speaking in a loud, innocent voice, typical of a child.

"Is it true we should eat all the food while it's still there?!"

Her voice was loud enough for everyone around to hear, and as a result, even Gyeoul’s quieter response could be clearly heard.

"Yeah. Last time, I tried saving some red bean buns because they were so delicious, but after a month, they got moldy, so I had to throw them all away."

"Huh…! Couldn’t you just eat the parts without the mold?!"

"No, you can't eat it if it's moldy. I was so hungry once that I tried scraping off the mold and eating it. I really thought I was going to die that day."

Hearing such shocking words from a child wearing scruffy clothes caused a middle-aged man drinking water nearby to cough violently.

"That's so unfortunate! I was trying to save some precious chocolate too..."

"Precious?"

"Yeah! Chocolate is a snack only important people get to eat!"

"R-really…?"

What kind of chocolate could be so exclusive that only important people eat it?  
Choi Jinhyuk discreetly moved closer and took a look at the chocolate in the girl’s hand.  
It was just an ordinary chocolate bar you could buy for about 5,000 won at a nearby convenience store.

"But Levinas once had chocolate a few years ago! This is the second time in my life, isn’t that amazing?!"

Levinas puffed out her chest and placed her hands proudly on her hips.  
The onlookers couldn’t help but feel pity for the child’s prideful stance.

"Same here. This is my second time too."

"What…?! Eating chocolate is the most incredible thing Levinas has ever done in her life, but you’ve already done everything, haven’t you, Your Majesty?"

"Uh, y-yeah."

The conversation between the two children was so heartbreaking.  
Somewhere, a sensitive woman quietly wiped away tears.

"Then have you ever had yogurt, Your Majesty?!"

"Y-yogurt?"

"Yeah! Levinas gets yogurt as a snack once a month!"

Levinas closed her eyes as if savoring the taste of yogurt and made a blissful expression.  
Gyeoul watched her face for a moment before shaking her head slowly.  
At least in this lifetime, she didn’t recall ever tasting yogurt.

"I haven’t had yogurt yet."

"Really!"

Perhaps feeling triumphant after this small victory, Levinas grinned proudly.

"That’s okay! Yogurt is really hard to come by!"

"Is it… that rare?"

"Yeah! Only people who work so hard they feel like they’re going to die get rewarded with yogurt! You haven’t worked that hard yet, have you, Your Majesty?"

Being royalty.  
It made sense that with servants, there would be no need to work yourself to exhaustion.  
Confident, Levinas leaned in closer to Gyeoul, the distance between the two on the bench narrowing.

"Uh, yeah. I’ve collapsed from exhaustion before, but I’ve never worked myself to death…"

"Hahaha! You’ve had a pampered life, haven’t you, Your Majesty?"

"I-is that so…?"

Collapsing from exhaustion was pretty common in modern society.  
Gyeoul, nodding in understanding, accepted it as such.

"Yeah! But Levinas worked so hard that the adults didn’t hit me!"

"That’s kind of enviable. I got hit a few times."

"H-hit?!"

"Yeah. One time, I was kicked so hard I couldn’t breathe. I really thought I was going to die."

What kind of conversation were these two children having?  
Choi Jinhyuk and the nearby citizens were struck silent with shock.

‘She was kicked… in the stomach?’

Violence was strictly prohibited anywhere within the guild’s reach.  
It must have happened somewhere out of sight.

Choi Jinhyuk clung to that excuse for comfort but clenched his fists as he realized no justification could excuse what had happened.

"Ha…"

He had intended to just say a quick hello.  
Instead, he’d unexpectedly learned about the child's trauma.  
Trauma that began from his own neglect.

What was he supposed to do about this?  
As Choi Jinhyuk lingered near the children, a middle-aged couple approached him.  
It was the man who had been coughing earlier and his wife.

"Are you with the Yeomyeong Guild?"

"Y-yes… I am."

"Could we have a word?"

"Oh, uh, well…"

Choi Jinhyuk knew why they had called for him.  
They were concerned about the children.  
After all, the kids were living in Yeomyeong Park, so it was natural for them to be suspicious of the guild.

"Those beast-kin kids sitting on the bench, they live in that shabby container, right?"

"Y-yes, but it’s not like we want it that way…"

While Choi Jinhyuk was awkwardly stammering to the couple, the children’s conversation continued.

"Wow, Your Majesty has had a tough life too…"

"Yeah. But I’m fine now. I’ve got a nice home like that."

Gyeoul pointed to the container.  
The paint was peeling, and the rusty container glowed faintly orange in the sunlight.

"That’s amazing… Levinas still sleeps on the streets."

"I did too, at first. If you work hard, Levinas, you can get a nice home like mine."

"R-really?"

"Yeah. I’ll teach you everything I know."

How to live like a king!  
As Levinas hopped up with excitement like a horned rabbit, Sophia appeared, leaning on her cane, and approached the two.

"Gyeoul, can we talk for a moment?"

"Sure. What’s it about?"

"It’s about sleeping arrangements."

Sleeping arrangements?  
Gyeoul glanced around.

"It’s not really the season for dragonflies…"

"I meant the bed, Gyeoul."

"Ohhh."

The bed, not dragonflies.  
Gyeoul scratched the back of her head awkwardly.

"It seems we’ll need to find another mattress."

"Mattresses are hard to come by. I’ll just sleep in the box."

"…Are you sure about that?"

"Yes. You’re not in the best condition, Sophia, and Levinas is still young."

Wait, isn’t Gyeoul the youngest one here?  
Sophia tilted her head but didn’t bother voicing her thoughts.  
She understood how hardship could force a child to grow up quickly.

"Hmm… no, I’ll buy you a mattress."

"W-what? Are you sure?"

"Yes, I don’t have much use for money anyway."

"Wow…!"

Gyeoul, clearly more excited about the mattress than sleeping in a box, clapped her hands with joy.

"I’ll get ready and head out. Wait here for a bit."

"Okay…"

As Gyeoul watched Sophia return to the container, her ears perked up at a familiar sound.  
Turning her head, she saw Choi Jinhyuk walking away with the middle-aged couple.

‘Are those his parents?’

The only ones who could quiet such a powerful adventurer were likely his parents.  
For some reason, Gyeoul watched him leave with a wistful look in her eyes.

Before Sophia returned from her outing, Gyeoul had decided to teach Levinas something simple.  
At the very least, she wanted Levinas to be able to do as much as she could.

Feeling good about her new life goal, Gyeoul’s tail swayed cheerfully behind her.

‘This feels nice.’

Teaching a child was important, after all.  
It felt fulfilling, like she was contributing to society.  
It reminded her of the satisfaction she’d felt when she first bought the container.

"First…"

What should she teach Levinas first?  
Hunting horned rabbits came to mind for a moment, but Gyeoul quickly dismissed it, remembering Levinas was a horned rabbit beast-kin herself.

Teaching the young Levinas how to hunt might be a bit much for now.  
It seemed better to start with the basics.

"Levinas, have you ever earned money before?"

"No! Only adults are allowed to make money, right?!"

"Wait, didn’t you say you’ve worked before?"

"Yeah! I got yogurt instead of money!"

Oh.  
Didn’t she say she got one yogurt a month?  

Did they pay her with just that?

As this thought crossed Gyeoul’s mind, she heard a woman sobbing nearby.

Seems like someone’s having a bad day.  
Well, parks are visited by all kinds of people.  
No need to pay it any mind.

"Alright then, I’ll teach you how to make money."

"M-make money?! Even though I’m not an adult?!"

"Yeah. There’s money lying around everywhere here."

"N-no way!"

Levinas’ horned-rabbit eyes widened as she looked around.  
But her gaze failed to land on the empty bottles scattered nearby.

"Hmm…"

Clearly, Levinas was still a novice at being homeless.  
Gyeoul decided it was time to show the young girl the greatness of collecting empty bottles.