Me and the Tigress Volume 2 Chapter 2 part4

Sorry again for the low quality images. I’ll try and get some better ones. I’m so glad I translated some of this in the manhwa. It helps a lot.

Saehee's food was so good that it actually worried me. I felt like I gained weight after eating so much the last few days, so I needed to start controlling how much I eat or do some exercise. But even as I thought that, I ate everything, even the watermelon. Maybe I'm weak-willed after all.

I lay on the wooden floor, my head on my arms, and looked up at the summer sky. Though it was the middle of summer, could it have been so cool because I was in the mountains, or because it was nearly night? The breeze was cool and the weather was perfectly refreshing. But something lingered in the back of my mind. It was difficult to keep Rangii from noticing that while we were eating. Sigh.

As I gave a low sigh, I heard the door of the master bedroom slide open. I reflexively looked towards the door. Rangii, with her belly bulging visibly despite her clothes, was cautiously coming out of the room. Rangii, you'll gain weight if you keep eating… That would actually be really cute. She'd be plump. I felt like I'd laugh as I imagined Rangii waddling like a duck. It's okay for kids to gain a little weight. Though it's no good for them to get too fat. Maybe it doesn't matter because she's a phantom? No way. What'll we do if Jirisan gets even bigger?

As I tried to set aside my thoughts about Kkachi to a far corner of my mind, Rangii had inexplicably come closer to me and sat next to me without my noticing. Maybe it was because she was so cat-like, but I didn't even know when she got there because her footsteps were silent.

"Is it okay if I sit next to you?"

You're already sitting.

"When did I say you could?"

What's up with her? Did she commit some crime against me?

Ah. She might be bothered by how she left Kkachi outside somewhere of her own accord. Because Rangii, for whatever reason, was worried because of me. The problem is she was worrying about the wrong thing.

"Ehehe."

Rangii rolled onto her back as she giggled. You're not even sitting anymore. Even as I thought that, I naturally extended my arm for Rangii to use as a pillow. Rangii squirmed towards me and clung to my body. If it was hot out, I would have pushed her away, but I let her do it since it the weather was nice.

"Um, are you angry?"

"About what?"

"Because I left Kkachi outside without asking you."

I turned my head to look at Rangii. She was observing me, and I saw that she was nervous. I would have punished her while saying, 'What're you worrying so much about?' and hit her on the head or pinch her ears, but I elected to overlook it because both my hands were occupied.

"I'm not angry."

"Thank goodness!"

Rangii hugged me tight, as if she were relieved after worrying about it for so long. Do whatever you want. The current me was lenient.

"But… Then why were you so gloomy since earlier?"

"That's called meditation or being lost in sorrow."

"…It didn't seem like that to me."

You brat. Don't argue with me.

"Are you worried about something?"

"Huh?"

"If there's anything I can do, I want to help you. After all, aren't you only ever helping me? That is no good for a wife. Wait, could it be my fault?"

"Hey, you brat."

What were you even saying?

"I told you yesterday. As long as you're by my side, I…"

"Then why aren't you happy? Aren't I by your side?"

Rangii got up and sat on my belly. She put her hands on my chest. She shook loose her hair and let it fall. Rangii looked at me with sad eyes.

"Even when you were eating, even when I sat next to you, and even now. Your mind was stuck somewhere else."

She was quick to notice the strangest things.

"I hate it when Sunghoon makes that kind of face. I want you to always smile at me. I want you to always be happy. Otherwise, I'll be sad too. I'll be in pain too."

Rangii, looking to be on the verge of tears, pressed strongly against my chest.

She wasn't lying. Rangii was speaking straight from the heart with her whole body. From just hearing that I was worried. I couldn't keep what I was thinking hidden when she was so upset.

"It's nothing. Just Kkachi. I was a little worried about her."

"Are you talking about that child?"

Ah, Rangii puffed out her cheeks a little. It seemed like if I poked her with my finger, air would come rushing out. She sure changed her mood quickly.

"Then were you lying when you said you weren't angry? Uu—. I hate the liar Sunghoon. Don't hide things from me."

Rangii struck me on the chest lightly with her fists. She really is such a simple kid. With my newly freed hand, I flicked Rangii on the forehead.

"Unyah!"

Rangii grabbed her forehead and spoke as she collapsed on me.

"The liar Sunghoon hit the good little Rangii!"

Don't call yourself by your own name.

"Who're you calling a liar, who? I'm not angry at you. It's just…"

"Just what?"

Rangii looked up at me with her eyes tearing up slightly from the pain, and rested her chin on my chest.

I was worrying about Kkachi. Kkachi said, "One of us has to die anyway."

But she was wrong.

Rangii is protecting me. That means it isn't one of us that was going to die, but Kkachi who'll die. Kkachi is a weak phantom that couldn't even stand up to Baduk. There's no way a kid like that could get through Rangii's protection. If I hadn't moved away from Rangii and given Kkachi that opportunity, Rangii wouldn't have been able to even try to attack me because Rangii would have caught her. There's no way Kkachi didn't know that. That meant Kkachi already threw away her own life. That's what kept bothering me. Why in the world would a little kid like Kkachi have resolved to do that? I was curious about why a kid who was young enough to still be raised lovingly by her parents had such a resolve.

"…You're worried about her."

"…Huh?"

Shoot, was I too lost in thought? I hadn't even noticed, but Rangii had her arms around my neck and totally made the top of my body her own spot. Rangii's cheek was against my own. Hey, hey. Don't cling to me so much.

"So you are even worried about a girl who threatened your life. Sunghoon is so caring."

I blushed a little. It was embarrassing. Don't say those things in front of people. Because otherwise, all I can do is deny it.

"Me? Do you have wool over your eyes or something?"

"Wasn't that the case since we first met?"

You sure are making me embarrassed. But I wasn't being caring.

"That's not true."

I was just trying to think. Thinking so that, even if I let things happen as they did, you won't be in danger. So that Narae won't get hurt again. So that Saehee won't complain again. I was just thinking. It was just that all these thoughts were annoy me.

"You're wrong."

But Rangii shook her tail.

"Sunghoon is caring. I can tell."

If a kid is stubborn enough, she can fool herself into thinking she can make the impossible happen. It was strangely tiring to have this conversation with Rangii, so I decided not to reply.

"So even though I'm a little sad, I'm also really happy. It's because Sunghoon is so caring that we are able to be so happy together. Isn't that right?"

"…Yeah."

That was unfair. There was only one answer I could give to that. Feeling a little better now, I put Rangii down to my side and also lay down, looking towards her. Rangii smiled at me. Looking at that smile, I was able to make a decision.

How long did I spend lying down like that? Rangii fell asleep, and even I started getting drowsy. As I looked at both the setting sun and the adorable Rangii, I couldn't overcome my sleepiness. It's her. Hugging her makes people fall asleep.

I tried to wake Rangii up and send her to her room by tapping her lightly, but,

"Umnyaah…"

She had absolutely no intention of waking up. No, she was actually clinging to me and smiling slightly, her tail swaying back and forth. She never planned on getting up in the first place.

Tch.

The same thing from before will probably happen. Left with no choice, I picked up Rangii and princess carried her carefully to her room, or in other words, Saehee's room. When I lifted my foot to open the door, it opened on its own. Saehee, sitting elegantly inside the room, stared at me as I had my foot up in the air like an idiot, and she spoke.

"To enter a woman's home so late in the night is…"

"It was to put Rangii to bed."

I immediately cut her off and walked in. I heard the door close behind me.

"Your replies have improved, Young Master."

They say even a dog will learn the primer if it stays near a school, and being with Saehee for three days is enough to give me a breakdown. I spoke with that sentiment in mind.

"Thanks to you."

Inside the room was a blanket that Saehee had already spread on the floor. She really was always prepared.

I laid Rangii on the blankets, but something was off. That's right. The number of pillows bothered me. Why are there three? Ah, is Baduk going to sleep here? I thought for sure that Baduk was going to sleep in the courtyard.

…Ah geez, Mother. It wasn't enough for your son to think nothing of treating a little girl the same as a dog; now I thought it was completely natural for her to sleep outside in the courtyard.

I sighed thinking of myself, and pried myself free from Rangii who had been stuck fast to me even now. I even put a blanket over her, but as I was about to leave, Saehee, who had been silently watching, grabbed my ankle.

"Were you not planning on sleeping here?"

"Why would I sleep here? There's not enough space for me."

"I have already prepared a place for the Young Master to sleep."

"That wasn't for Baduk?"

"Baduk sleeps in the courtyard."

It seemed I wasn't wrong. That aside, I'll have to talk with Baduk later. And see if she was okay with being treated like this.

"Most importantly, mountain nights are quite cold. You will surely be cold if you sleep by yourself, so please sleep with Master."

"Come to think of it, it was super cold last time."

My first night here was really cold. To the point where I unknowingly used Rangii as a heater.

Saehee nodded her head. Why'd she do that?

"Do you have any winter blankets?"

What, did you think I was going to sleep here?

"You truly have improved, Young Master."

"If not, summer blankets are fine, too. Since I can just use two."

Tch. I heard Saehee click her tongue. But she acted as if she did no such thing and opened the doors to the wardrobe.

"Please wait a moment."

I felt a strange sense of victory after I succeeded in beating Saehee in a conversation. Don't you look down on humans! Ahahahah! And while I was drunk on that kind of feeling,

"Oh dear, my hand slipped."

After taking out the blanket, Saehee accidentally dropped a pillow on Rangii's belly. It probably didn't hurt, but that slight impact roused Rangii out of her sleep.

"Mmmm."

Rangii opened her eyes a little, looked at the pillow that had fallen on top of her, and looked around her. Are you looking for something?

"…Sunghoon, where are you?"

She was looking for me. I sat next to Rangii and spoke.

"Right here."

Rangii stuck out her hand and wrapped it around my ankle.

"Where…are you going?"

She sounded so worried that she made me feel worried as well.

"Huh? I need to sleep in my room, too. It's pretty late."

"I want to sleep together."

Are you asking me to sleep here, too? Sorry. Maybe naps are okay, but sleeping is most comfortable by myself. I was about to tell her that, but,

"Uu—."

Tears started forming in Rangii's eyes. No, tears were really falling from her eyes!

"Uu, no. I-I want to sleep together. Whiiine."

Are-Are you crying? Why so suddenly? Did I do something wrong? Hey, hey! Don't cry! Stop crying! Your pretty face is getting scrunched up!

"You should sleep with her at least for today."

Saehee spoke to me as I stood, unsure of what to do, in front of a crying Rangii.

"Yesterday and today. The Young Master's life was in danger two times. Although the insensitive Young Master may not have noticed, Master was quite upset at this. Thus, I believe that you will not abandon Master who wishes to have you by her side. You caring lolicon Young Master."

Seeing the corners of Saehee's mouth curl upwards, I was sure that she had eavesdropped on the conversation between Rangii and me. Though that wasn't the problem right now.

"Okay."

I freed myself from Rangii's hand and instead, I held her hand and stroked her hair.

"I'll sleep with you tonight. All right?"

"Sniff, really?"

I wiped away Rangii's tears.

"Yeah."

Rangii had a relieved expression on her face as she nodded her face. Then I should get ready to sleep as well. I'll go to the bathroom and wash up quickly. Ah, I'm saying this in advance, but I wasn't doing that because I was being self-conscious of Rangii. Why the heck would I be self-conscious with her? I was just in the habit of washing up before going to bed. It's just a habit.

"I'm going to go to the bathroom for a bit."

"You'll come back right away?"

"Yeah. So just wait a little."

I knew that being half-asleep weakens your self-control, but this was severe. This was my first time seeing Rangii so anxious. To help keep Rangii feel calm when she was like this, I bent down and gave Rangii a light peck on the forehead. It was a huge service.

"I'll be right back."

"Okay."

Rangii closed her eyes. Rangii's breathing calmed down shortly after, and after I made sure of this, I got up.

"Young Master."

"What?"

"There is a chamber pot in the room."

"Shut up."

Are you asking me to die?

Chapter end