There are a number of potential errors, so I’m sorry about that. But FYI, we’re on page 59! Out of 377! Welp, if I translate at 10 pages a week every week, it’ll take… 32 weeks. Hope you readers are willing to wait a long time :3
The tiger looked up at me with eyes full of expectation. Her gaze looked as though she was going to play a fun game with Baduk, who was right next to Saehee. But in the tiger's gaze, I could feel that something was different. Although I don't know what that is, although I really don't know what that is. Although I don't know other things, I could tell that this girl… was nervous.
So rather than rejecting her directly, for now I'll change the subject.
"I'll just ask one question."
The tiger nodded her head.
"Why me? It's a little embarrassing to say this, but to me, you're pretty. You could get lots of men if you grew up a little…"
"You said I'm pretty! This is the first time I heard that!"
The tiger blushed deeply, embarrassed.
"Really, are you trying to make me embarrassed?"
Hey, hey. You. You're missing the main point of what I was saying. And if you're nitpicking over being embarrassed, doesn't it make more sense to be embarrassed about being naked?
"How much longer until you answer my question?"
The tiger was clearly excited as she answered my question.
"Because long ago, I fell in love with you at first sight."
"But this is the first time I've ever seen you."
"Although you don't remember, you came to see me once to open your spiritual eyes when you were a newborn.
…could that have been the ceremony? The tiger reminisced while looking far away and talked.
"Until then, all children felt an instinctive fear and cried when they saw me. But you were different. Even after seeing me, you smiled widely and gave me a hug. As you suckled upon my breast, you fell asleep on my bosom."
But I can't remember. I can't remember being such a brave child.
"At that time, I felt we were fated for each other. This child to be my husband was above comparison from other children. You are the partner I was waiting for. Look here. Even now, you are confidently standing in front of me. In this place where my powers are large, no other human could stand so confidently as you do."
I looked at Saehee.
"It's the truth, young master. Even now, Father cannot raise his head near the Master, and the scum humans who looked upon the Master fainted. The only exception is the young master's mother."
Ah, if it's mother, then I can understand. Since she's always been that kind of person. I have heard that I took after my mom a lot. All that aside.
"But today is the first time I've ever seen you. Suddenly saying we should get married doesn't make any sense, right?"
A question mark appeared above the tiger's head. No, I'm not joking and it's not a figure of speech, it's real. A number of strands of hair stood up on her head and formed a question mark. To be able to move her hair so freely, even if she's taken the form of a child, she's still a phantom?
"Why are you like that? Your parents gave their blessing and I have been unable to see the face of my partner for so long, isn't it obvious?
What planet are you from.
"Ah, is that it? Do not worry. When we were performing the ceremony, your mother already gave her blessing for our marriage agreement. By your species' standards, I have already been accepted by your family. So it's obvious that our marriage would happen."
Mother, just what the hell were you thinking. You thought about marrying your son off to this phantom. That's too much.
"That may have been obvious in the Joseon Dynasty (tn: an era in Korean history from 1392 to 1897), but times have changed. I have no intention of marrying someone I don't like."
Because there's someone else I like. Although I didn't confess to her yet. But marrying a phantom I've seen for the first time. That's nonsense.
"…you don't like me?"
Struck by my words, the tiger looked up at me. Her eyes became downcast and her mouth lowered, making me look like the bad guy. Uuu, I wavered at the sight of a tiger who looked like she was about to cry and answered her as I turned my head away.
"How am I supposed to like you if I just met you today?"
"…is, is that so."
The tiger that looked as though she was hurt by my words suddenly-! After readying herself, she bowed her head, depressed. The ears on top of her head also drooped naturally. Although my words were backed by common sense, I couldn't help but feel guilty. But I can't back down. Because I could feel in her gaze that she sincerely wanted to get married with me. Married to a phantom at the age of 17, one that's a tiger as big as a mountain! How does that make any sense?
…but right now in front of me was a crestfallen little kid. Even knowing I was speaking in a straightforward manner, I tried to comfort her.
"Well, someday you'll find a partner who likes you too, so don't be too depressed."
"There's no way that'll happen."
But what came back was a cold denial.
"After being rejected by you, I'll end my regrets over love."
Are you planning on turning me into a strange bad guy?
"No, there's no need to do that……"
I shut my mouth.
I had goose bumps. Everything was suddenly releasing energy, as if they were dying in explosions. And in the center of that energy was the tiger. A girl.
"If my fated partner isn't you, nobody else will be able to accept me. If that's the case, I will wait like this until the seal is lifted."
Remembering the private story I heard earlier, my mouth moved on its own.
"If the seal is lifted… what will you do?"
"I will burn and destroy this earth."
That horrified me. My hair stood on end, my terror was like fireworks, unable to handle the tiger that was exuding such energy, and I felt such chills that I was could not speak.
"When the sun goes down, I will swallow the moon. I will ensure the end of humanity. With others of my kind, we will find and kill every single member of the human race."
One word, in one word she made clear her powers. No matter how you look at it, she was being serious.
"If this is Master's decision, all the humans' lives would change before the sun fell."
"Master's scary when she's angry. I hate it."
I saw Saehee give an additional explanation in her usual expressionless manner, and Baduk was trembling and hiding behind Saehee. This isn't an exaggerated statement.
"You…"
The tiger looked at me. Deep within her gaze I could see a terrible hatred, and I may have gone crazy, but I could also see a deep-seated sorrow. It was as if she were a normal girl who was cruelly hurt by a womanizer.
…where did that example come from (may not be 100% accurate).
"Leave this land. I do not want the blood of the man planned to be my husband to dirty my hands. Saehee."
"Yes, Master."
"Deal with the aftermath as you wish. I want to be alone. Nobody is to enter here until I say so."
"Yes, I understand."
Saehee bowed her head respectfully as the tiger turned around.
"Leave."
Saehee took me by the arm, leading me.
Is it okay to leave it like this. Or is it okay to return home and then run away from this country. And after the seal dissolves, will the tiger devastate this country. That… doesn't make any sense.
What is this. This is absolutely crazy. This is completely crazy. It's crazy for phantoms to exist, and it's crazy that a phantom was hurt by my words, and it's crazy that because of my choice I got a phantom to massacre people. But above all, it's crazy that I shook off Saehee's hand and turned the tiger back around.
That's right! I didn't do it because I felt pity at her incredible sadness when I looked at her back! Nor is it because I could see my young self in her! I just did it because I was scared of what the tiger would do later!
"Hey!"
The tearful tiger looked up at me with a surprised expression, and perhaps she finally realized she was crying because she hid her eyes with her wrists as she spoke:
"This, this isn't what it looks like! I, I'm not crying!"
She was making a ridiculous excuse. That's right, you're not crying. I can see that dust got into your eyes first, tiger-nim (tn: -nim indicates respect. Is obviously being used ironically). But, you. Why are you speaking like that? Although, the way you’re speaking now definitely fits your child-like appearance better (tn: the tiger speaks in a very strange form of Korean where the ending conjugation of sentences is very different from normal Korean. She all of a sudden changes it to normal, modern Korean when Sunghoon turns her around).
"You, don't you know you're not supposed to interrupt people when they're talking?"
"Huh?"
She peeked up at me with her tear-filled eyes.
"Of course I can't marry a girl I don't like. Even if you are my fiancé, it's impossible. But I don't want to reject you just like that."
"That's… What are you saying?"
Her parlance changed back, but that's not important.
"I can't just leave you."
Narae, I'm sorry. Although I like you, this is for your sake and to keep our country safe and peaceful, so please forgive me.
"Let's go together. I don't want to leave you behind in a place like this."
The tiger's ears pricked up. If you compare her from before to now, it was as though she was outshining the sun and moon; her expression clearly brightened immensely and she squeezed with the hand that grabbed mine and spoke.
"Are, are you serious?"
"I am."
"You're saying that you're going to be my husband and love me?!"
Hey, hey. When did I ever go so far as to say that.
"We'll know something like that when it comes, but it'll be possible when we're in love."
And that'll also be possible when you've grown up a bit. Rather than speaking of marriage, it'd fit you better to be talking about your times tables. …disregarding her true age.
"I'm happy! I'm happy! So you didn't give me up! You chose me!"
"The young master is clearly a lolicon."
I heard words that I couldn't ignore to my side.
"Hey, who are you calling a lolicon."
"What's a lolicon?"
How am I supposed to explain to the tiger that's asking me with such round eyes…
"It's a word for people who are sexually interested in underaged girls."
"Don't say weird things!"
But the tiger expressed joy at Saehee's words.
"So that's it! So you went into heat because you like me! So my eyes really weren't wrong!"
What, do you like lolicons? And do I have to give up on stopping those phantoms from calling me a lolicon as they pleased.
"Then does that mean that because the young master is a lolicon, you like me too?"
No, I have to properly tell them. After seeing Baduk's naïve questioning, I couldn't just leave it like this.
"I just don't want to leave you alone in a place like this. I'm not a lolicon!"
"In public, that's called being a lolicon or pedophilia."
You're noisy, shut up. My preference is large breasted older sisters. When I should hurry home and look at some pictures of big breasted older sisters on the internet to establish my sexual identity.
Ah… but then there's that.
"But you're sealed to this place, right?"
"That is correct."
The tiger nodded her head. Thankfully, the topic about lolicons seems to have been passed.
"Then what will you do? Can you leave this place?"
"Do not worry. At this stage, the seal has my true form trapped, but following you is no problem. I'm here now because the weather's too hot."
…wait.
"True form? That tiger form from before isn't your true form?"
The tiger smiled and answered.
"This shape is just a spiritual body. My true form is all of Jirisan."
"…what?"
"The entirety of Jirisan is my true form."
At the ridiculous size, I lost what I was going to say.
"Do you now know the greatness of this body?"
Looking at my blank face, she stuck her chest out with pride, but looking at the tiger, I could only say these words.
"And yet you're so small."
I put my hand on top of the tiger's head. It seems like it'd be comfortable to lay my elbows there.
"Uu-! I'm going to grow! In a little bit I'm going to grow up!!"
Looking at the tiger who raised her arms to hit me, it feels like I'm going to end up forgetting that her true identity is a tiger. Ah, but I didn't ask the most important thing.
"But what's your name? I'm Kang Sunghoon."
"My name is Ho Rangii."
"…what?" (Tn: Horangii means tiger in Korean)
After Baduk, it's Ho Rangii? I blankly looked down at the tiger as she yelled at me furiously.
"I, I have a different name given to me by heaven! But I'll only tell you it when you have enough determination! Our names are like that! Or do you want me to tell you my name?"
I have no idea what she's saying, but I firmly refused.
"That's a nice name, Ho Rangii."
"Awooo…"
Why do you look so unhappy.
"Then let's go, Rangii."
Since she's Ho Rangii, I'll call her Rangii. After calling her that, it seems like a really good name. If I name my daughter Rangii she'd be… Kang Rangii. …let's forget about that. Narae would kill me. Since I've chosen Narae to be my wife. Ah, I just remembered I should send Narae a text. Looks like I'll have to message her while going down the mountain.