One Day, a Villain Fell into My Wardrobe – Chapter 125

125

The samgyeopsal party that started late in the evening didn’t end until almost midnight. At first, Yeon Ji-ho thought the 10kg of pork belly that Set and Chronos bought was too much, but it wasn’t at all. They devoured every piece of meat without leaving any.

Moreover, samgyeopsal wasn’t the only thing they ate. Ji-ho also ordered several chickens in case there wasn’t enough meat, and took the opportunity to introduce them to somaek (soju and beer mix).

Except for Baal and Set, all the knights got drunk tasting somaek for the first time in their lives. Of course, Isquis got drunk just from drinking cola.

Baal and Set both drank quite a bit, but showed no signs of getting drunk no matter how much they drank. Set explained to Ji-ho that it was because of the difference in their level of physical training.

“Mr. Baal too?”

“Yes. Baal is almost at the level of a Sword Master.”

“Wow, I see. I thought Mr. Baal didn’t learn swordsmanship separately.”

Baal glanced at Ji-ho’s words before staring back into space. It was an attitude unlike him, who had been so obsessed with Ji-ho when they met again in Korea.

“It’s a matter of talent. If Baal had properly learned swordsmanship… Well, he might have surpassed me.”

“Then why didn’t he learn?”

“Ji-ho, do you think there’s anyone who could teach that guy swordsmanship?”

“Hmm.”

Ji-ho nodded without difficulty. Come to think of it, even now, Baal seemed to be quite out of place with the others. While everyone else was sprawled out comfortably drunk, Baal alone sat on a broken bench staring at the sky.

“…Hey, Set.”

Ji-ho suddenly turned to look at Set sitting beside him. He was in the process of using tongs to add a few pieces of firewood to keep the dying embers in the brazier from going out completely.

As Set looked this way at the sound of his name, Ji-ho gently rubbed his belly. Ji-ho’s knees were covered with a thick blanket to prevent even the slightest cold from reaching him.

“It’s a bit late, but shall we give our baby a prenatal name?”

“…A prenatal name?”

Set’s mouth opened slightly at the unexpected suggestion. Seeing Set’s reaction, Ji-ho smiled shyly and said,

“Well, at the obstetrician’s office, everyone calls their babies by prenatal names… But I feel a bit awkward just calling ours ‘baby.'”

In fact, that wasn’t the only reason. Sometimes when Ji-ho went to the hospital alone without Seon-rok, he often envied the alphas calling out their babies’ prenatal names next to pregnant omegas. If they were to give a prenatal name, he had imagined doing it together with Set.

On the other hand, just as Ji-ho was about to add “It’s okay if we don’t,” feeling somehow awkward about making such a request to him, Set spoke:

“I’m sorry.”

“Pardon?”

“I… Until now, I never imagined I would become a father. I wasn’t prepared.”

Set’s expression sank heavily. He had always felt guilty about sending Ji-ho here alone. Moreover, not just alone, but pregnant with his child.

Set put down the fire tongs and pondered, staring intently at Ji-ho’s belly. Ji-ho let out a low laugh at the sight of him falling into such deep thought over just a prenatal name.

“It’s okay, it’s just a prenatal name. We don’t have many months left until the birth… We can keep it simple.”

“For example?”

“Hmm, for example…”

Ji-ho’s eyes rolled around, scanning the surroundings. After briefly glancing at the collapsed knights, his gaze finally landed on Baal’s back figure, who was alone staring at the sky. At that moment, Ji-ho murmured without realizing:

“Bael?”

“…You want to use Baal’s name? Baal is the name of a demon.”

“Ah, well, there is a ‘Baal’ here too. But Baal wasn’t originally a demon’s name.”

As Ji-ho briefly explained about the myth, Set nodded. The more Ji-ho talked about ‘Baal’ to Set, the more he strangely wanted to give the baby the prenatal name Bael.

The god Baal, originally meaning “the wise one,” began to be gradually rejected as times changed and time passed. At some point, he was demonized and became fixed in people’s minds as such.

Ji-ho wished that his child, who had experienced only dangerous things from the womb, would be protected under the name of Baal, who was once the most powerful god. With that in mind, when he suggested the name, Set nodded.

“Alright, let’s go with Bael.”

“…Really? Just like that?”

“Isn’t that what your intuition is telling you, Ji-ho?”

Ji-ho nodded, taken aback by Set’s easier-than-expected agreement. After deciding on Bael as the prenatal name, Ji-ho wanted to call the baby by it. It was when Ji-ho gently caressed his belly hidden under the blanket and softly called out to the baby:

“Bael?”

Thump, thump…

As soon as he called, there was a floating response from the belly. Set, who was also watching Ji-ho’s belly from the side, widened his eyes in surprise.

“Do you want to try calling too, Set?”

At Ji-ho’s suggestion, Set, who seemed nervous and swallowed, carefully reached out his hand. His large hand, full of calluses, touched the belly with an extremely cautious attitude. Set whispered, his fingertips trembling:

“…Bael…”

Thump!

This time, the kick came more forcefully than when Ji-ho called. Ji-ho, who was quite hurt by it, shrank his shoulders in surprise.

Set, flustered by Ji-ho’s reaction, wrapped his arms around his shoulders. However, the baby soon calmed down, and Ji-ho relaxed, bursting into a soft laugh.

At that moment, a long shadow fell over Set and Ji-ho’s heads. When Ji-ho looked up, a huge man was looking down at the two of them.

“Mr. Baal?”

“…”

Baal still looked at Ji-ho with an indecipherable expression. Ji-ho sometimes felt strange, wondering why Baal was so obsessed with him, thinking that Baal didn’t seem to like him the way Set did.

“…Do you want to try calling too, Mr. Baal?”

Instead of apologizing for naming the baby after Baal without permission, he made a different suggestion. Ji-ho thought it wouldn’t be strange if Baal ignored his words and left.

However, Baal slowly knelt down on one knee at Ji-ho’s suggestion. It was an uncharacteristically slow and careful attitude for Baal.

Bringing his face right in front of Ji-ho’s belly, Baal still had no expression. After being silent for a while, just when Ji-ho thought he might not call the baby’s prenatal name:

“Bael.”

Baal called the baby’s name in a monotone voice. However, unlike with Ji-ho and Set, there was no kick in response.

Ji-ho smiled awkwardly and said,

“Maybe the baby fell aslee… Ugh.”

Ji-ho unconsciously curled his waist and wrapped both arms around his belly at the sudden contraction. It was the strongest movement yet. Set was so startled that he abruptly hugged Ji-ho.

Meanwhile, Baal was concentrating on the sound coming from Ji-ho’s womb, listening intently.

Thump, thump, thump…

A tiny, insignificant heartbeat reached Baal’s sensitive ears. Baal unconsciously swallowed, moving his Adam’s apple.

“…Ah, Mr. Baal, you must have been surprised. The baby moved… Mr. Baal?”

It was then that Baal suddenly stood up. He didn’t stop even when Ji-ho called out, disappearing far into the darkness. As Ji-ho watched Baal’s retreating figure with concern, Set, who was beside him, said kindly:

“He seems to be uncomfortable. It must have been Baal’s first time feeling a baby’s movement.”

“…Do you think so?”

While answering Set’s whisper, Ji-ho inwardly felt that it wasn’t just because of that. Because Baal’s expression just before he got up was somehow strange. It was, well…

As if he was suppressing something, on the verge of bursting.

Meanwhile, Baal, who had entered the darkness, at first walked slowly through the forest, but at some point unknowingly started running. He couldn’t stop no matter how much he ran.

No, it was more accurate to say that he shouldn’t stop.

Otherwise, he might go back and immediately cut open Ji-ho’s belly and steal the child.

Baal had thought that he wanted to devour Ji-ho all this time. But that wasn’t it. What he desired was precisely the tiny seed growing inside Ji-ho’s womb. What he had thought was Ji-ho’s “scent” was actually emanating from within that womb.

The moment he realized this, Baal became afraid.

If it was this intense even before that child came out of the womb, he probably wouldn’t be able to resist the urge the moment that child was born into the world.

Author: Hyacinthus B

Hyacinthus