TLCTS | 05

Chapter 5

Don’t be a bother.

“I’m done eating.”

Chaeri picked up her bowl and carried it to the sink.

She glanced at her mom and dad, but they were still absorbed in their conversation.

“Chaeri will clean her room now.”

“Oh, okay.”

Her mother’s response was light and indifferent.

Chaeri went back to her room and neatly folded her bedding.

She straightened the pillowcase and folded the end of the blanket once.

Then she picked up a fairy tale book. She almost carried it out of the room.

‘Wow, I let my guard down.’

Maybe she really had been tired yesterday.

The urge to ask someone to read it to her stretched and yawned awake inside her.

Chaeri could read words, but stories were a hundred times more fun when someone else read them aloud.

‘But a bedtime story is a luxury for me.’

She slid the book back into the shelf.

She would live quietly, as if she didn’t exist—grow quietly, and quietly move out one day.

‘Maybe I can ask Davith to read to me?’

A smile crept across her face without her realizing it.

As expected, Davith was the best.

‘I can’t wait to go to kindergarten.’

Her first day was tomorrow.

Her mom, who used to say she’d raise her herself until Chaeri turned five, had registered her for kindergarten the moment she found out she was pregnant again.

‘Actually, that’s good for me.’

She could play house and make friends.

Honestly, she’d been shocked to discover how much this body liked playing pretend, but…

‘Well, I am at that age. It’s natural.’

Now she was trying to humbly accept the instincts and limits of her four-year-old body.

Chaeri sat at her little desk and pulled out her Korean alphabet chart.

She pretended to read it while secretly opening her inventory.

‘Let’s check the rewards properly!’

For reference, the Chaeri in the original novel had also cleared an L-rank mission.

The only difference was that it had been Medesa, not Davith, who did it.

‘Hmm.’

[Inventory]
“Good Job!” Sticker ×1

[System Account]
Balance: 100,000,000 dia

Ding! — and flowers bloomed across the garden in her head.

Just seeing the balance filled her with peace and contentment.

‘Hehe.’

Even in this era of “new civilization,” it was still an enormous sum.

Among four-year-olds, she could proudly claim to be one of the richest.

Of course, cashing it out would take a few steps.

‘You have to be an adult to open a real-world linked account.’

Until then, she’d keep it a secret.

Any lingering expectations for her adoptive parents faded quickly.

Their terms of address had changed, and even the milk they gave her was cold now.

Their words still sounded sweet, but the warmth behind them was gone.

To them, Chaeri was nothing more than a guest—an outsider who would leave someday.

‘At least I got a “Good Job!” sticker.’

Just like in the novel.

‘Gotta collect all ten.’

If she collected ten “Good Job!” stickers, she could draw another card.

Night fell.

Card-collecting child Lee Chaeri took out her Davith Card and whispered softly.

“Chaeri calls for you, Davith.”

The card floated up, a magic circle flared on the floor, and bright light spread.

From its center, Davith slowly rose.

“Chaeri, I honor our second meeting.”

“Davith?”

Chaeri squinted.

Something was different—no, very different.

His hair was an ordinary black, the kind you could see anywhere in Korea, giving him a mixed-race look.

Instead of a suit, he wore a gray hoodie and shorts.

He could’ve walked out of a neighborhood convenience store in slippers and still looked natural.

‘Ordinary? No way.’

Chaeri shook her head.

The saying “fashion is completed by the face” had never felt truer.

When someone that handsome wore a hoodie, it turned into a holy garment.

A giggle escaped her lips.

Her smile came partly from how good-looking he was—but more than that, she was proud that she had noticed the change first.

“Davith, did you buy clothes?”

For some reason, her heart thumped faster.

The four-year-old body was so dynamic.

“Yes. Do they look good on me?”

“Do you have money?”

“…What?”

He couldn’t have any, right? He’d just materialized recently.

“I’ll give you an allowance soon.”

Not yet, though—she hadn’t registered as an awakener with the Seoul Guild. Only then could she withdraw dia from her system account.

“I have money now.”

“No, money doesn’t just appear.”

Chaeri said firmly.

Money isn’t found; it’s earned.

“I defeated a villain, and Santa Claus gave it to me as a reward.”

“……”

Chaeri considered this logically.

Money appeared? True.
He defeated a villain? Also true.
Money fell from the sky? False.

‘He must’ve raided a crime syndicate.’

Chaeri said sternly, “Santa doesn’t exist.”

“…Shall I read you a storybook?”

“Yes, please!”

Her mood flipped instantly.

Responding to stimulation right away was a four-year-old’s privilege.

And Davith was, quite frankly, the ultimate stimulus package:

Handsome face, warm scent, gentle humidity in his aura, soft voice, and storybooks.

‘Face. Scent. Vibe. Storybooks. Perfection.’

Sitting on his lap, she enjoyed storytime to her heart’s content.

Her cheeks flushed red, and her heart pounded.

Storytime was so fun.

9 p.m.

Bedtime for every good little child.

But Chaeri closed the storybook and suddenly stood up.

“Davith, let’s go to the Tower!”

If she waited any longer, sleepiness would win.

“Chaeri, the Tower needs both strength and focus. Go too often and you might get hurt.”

After all, she was still very young—an age that needed protection, not dungeon raids.

Chaeri flexed her arm (the muscle only she could see).

“Chaeri strong!”

“Hmm.”

Davith examined her condition, then lifted her into his arms.

“Just for today. Tomorrow, you rest.”

“Yes!”

“Promise.”

“Yes!”

“I mean it.”

“Yes!!”

Their pinkies shot up and linked.

Davith pressed a gentle kiss to her pinky.

Chaeri shivered slightly.

She didn’t know why, but her whole body tingled—like stepping into a bath full of fluffy clouds.

“Thank you, Chaeri.”

“Yes.”

[Activating Tower Entry Skill.]
[Current Location: Seoul Tower Zone]
[You may enter the Seoul Tower.]
[Accessible Floors: Up to 2F]

Chaeri, who fully understood numbers, selected the second floor immediately.

[Entering Seoul Tower, Floor 2.]

A field similar to the first floor—

Except this time, horned rabbits were hopping around.

‘Ugh.’

Cute faces, but not actually cute.

That unpleasant monster aura prickled at her skin.

Her body flinched instinctively.

[Kids Mode Activated.]

‘Oh! Nice!’

Thanks to the kids’ filter, the sense of dread disappeared.

Now the rabbits just looked like fluffy bunnies again.

[Objective: Defeat Horned Rabbits.]
[Clear condition: 10 defeats.]

Davith spoke gently.

“Chaeri, do you see the green light on the ground?”

“Yes.”

Chaeri knew her role perfectly.

“Chaeri will stay safe in the green zone. Don’t worry!”

“Thank you.”

She ran to the glowing green circle—

A small five-meter-wide area pulsing with protective energy.

No monsters could cross into it.

“Shall we count to three together?”

“Ooooneeee!”

Davith vanished.

A being of heroic rank from the Empire—she couldn’t even track his movements.

“Twooooo!”

Two seconds later—

✨ Pop! Pop! ✨
✨ Sparkle! ✨
✨ Butterflies flutter! ✨

[You have cleared Seoul Tower, Floor 2.]
[Clear Rank: L (Legend)]

The second L-rank clear in the world.

[Your clear record will be added to the 2F Hall of Fame.]
[Would you like to register a nickname?]

“No.”

[Nickname unregistered. Displayed as ‘-’.]

[Hall of Fame – 2F]
[Korea]

1. • : Legend (Seoul)

…

It took only five seconds including dialogue.

A historic second-floor clear.

“Wow, amazing!”

Her heart raced.

Euphoria surged.

It was almost addictive.

Then she caught sight of a mirror.

‘Don’t make that dopamine-drunk face, Chaeri. You’ve got hearts in your eyes right now!’

Davith was right—she’d have to be careful.

‘Phew, this must be what they mean by addiction warning.’

Focus. A four-year-old body is weak against dopamine.

After leaving the Tower, Chaeri sat on the edge of her bed.

“Davith, do I really rest tomorrow?”

“Yes. But I’ll read you lots of stories instead.”

Her ears perked up at the word stories.

Davith pressed his lips together to hide a smile.

Ears that moved when she was happy—how could such a creature exist?

He sat quietly beside her.

“Just this once, I’m resting.”

“Thank you, Chaeri.”

Such simple words—but they made her shoulders twitch.

Being thanked never felt bad.

“How long will you read for?”

“Until Chaeri falls asleep.”

She nodded solemnly.

“Charming.”

Contract complete.

Davith smiled contentedly.

Then, after a moment, he took something from his pocket.

It was a piece of candy.

And his tone suddenly shifted.

“But, Chaeri…”

His expression turned serious.

Chaeri’s gaze locked onto the candy.

And then, Davith’s meaningful question followed.