Chapter 50

49. Mole

"Zephir, go first."

Taeju shouted to Zephir as he ran towards the greenhouse. Zephir cast a protective shield and flew off at high speed.

'What’s happening?'

Upon arriving at the vegetable patch in front of the greenhouse, the first thing Taeju saw was a giant chicken. The chicken, wearing an apron, was screaming in fear outside the vegetable patch. In front of it, several moles with dark fur were threatening it.

"Kyaa!"

"Ko-ko!"

"What the...! Zephir, protect her."

Before Taeju could finish speaking, Zephir had already cast a protective shield around the chicken. He scanned the area for something to use as a weapon and spotted a stake that had been used to mark the boundary. Taeju approached the stake and pulled it out with all his strength.

He had learned fencing when he was younger. Holding the stake gave him a bit of courage. In his other hand, he picked up a stone from the ground, ready to throw it if necessary.

"Back off, ugly moles."

"Kyaa."

The moment they were called "ugly moles," the moles let out fierce growls and glared at Taeju. His body stiffened for a moment at their menacing appearance. Just as the moles were about to charge at him, a roar from behind a nearby tree caught their attention.

"Roar."

"Kyaa."

The sudden roar made the moles start to guard that direction. But when they realized the creature that appeared was much smaller than them, they resumed their threatening noises.

"Taeju, get out of the way."

While Taesan distracted the moles, Taeju moved to where the chicken was. Hye was already there, and when she saw Taeju behind her, she aimed a net gun at the moles.

Whoosh!

Swoosh!

Fortunately, Hye didn’t need to fire the net gun. An agent from the Garden Association had arrived in response to the emergency signal she had sent.

"Capture them."

"Yes, sir."

Agent S gave instructions to people who looked like subordinates and then approached Taeju.

"Are you alright?"

"Phew, thanks to you. Thank you."

"Not at all. Uh! Who is this?"

"Ah! She’s a guest staying in our garden."

"Is that so?"

Taeju wondered why Agent S was acting that way but soon realized he was embarrassed by the chicken.

'He’s really embarrassed.'

Agent S’s face was red as he kept glancing at the chicken.

Seeing this, Taeju decided to help Agent S a bit. He wanted to show off a bit to win the chicken’s favor.

"Those moles were threatening the guest. They were really scary."

It wasn’t tattling. He just wanted Agent S to use his strong, muscular body to teach those moles a lesson, just a little bit.

"My goodness. They threatened a lady?"

"Yes, several of them."

It wasn’t tattling. He was just stating the facts.

Agent S’s eyes lit up, burning with anger.

"How dare those thieving moles..."

Agent S untied a rope from his waist and swung it over his head. The rope, making a terrifying sound in the air, soon fell on the moles.

"Kyeek."

As soon as Agent S stepped forward, the moles were quickly subdued. Agent S turned around as soon as he succeeded, looking at Taeju but actually at the chicken behind him. Taeju knew this but decided to let Agent S have the spotlight.

"Amazing. Agent S. Wow, that was so quick."

"Hahaha. This is nothing for an agent like me."

"Great job."

"Agent S, you’re amazing."

Agent S’s face turned red. He secretly hoped the chicken behind Taeju would say something too.

"These are a group of thieving moles. They were actually garden workers, but they stole an item to open the 'Moon Gate' from a gentleman who loves tea and have been destroying several gardens."

"Thieves?"

"Yes, a few days ago, the family of the gentleman who loves tea reported that one of the items to open the Moon Gate had been stolen. It’s a difficult item to use if you’re not from the family, so the gate opens randomly, making it hard to track. They must have invaded here. When they invade a garden, they destroy all the flowers and trees."

After explaining, he looked at the moles and frowned. When Taeju asked why, he said one mole was missing.

"One is missing. It might be hiding in the garden, so please stay inside the building for a while. P, guard the entrance to the P building."

"Yes, sir."

Taeju, the chicken, and Hye entered the greenhouse. Taesan and Zephir didn’t come in. Just as Taeju was about to call them, a scream came from the maze.

"Taedan!"

Taedan was the only one of the garden family not present. Taeju was about to leave the greenhouse and head to the maze, but an agent called P stopped him.

"Zephir! Go to Taedan."

"Neigh."

Zephir flew off at high speed and disappeared. Taesan also vanished immediately. Taeju, unable to do anything but watch them disappear, felt frustrated.

"Gardener, calm down. The fairy is worried."

"Ah! Sorry, Hye."

"Sultan Hawk is very strong. There’s no need to worry."

"I hope so."

Continuous cackling sounds came from the maze. Taeju tried not to show his anxiety and waited for news.

After some time, Agent S and the group returned. P, who had been guarding the entrance, moved aside. As soon as the entrance was clear, Taeju ran out to check on Taedan.

"Are you okay?"

"Taedan."

After confirming Taedan was safe, Taeju checked the rest of the group. Fortunately, no one seemed to be injured.

"The Golden Unicorn provided a protective shield."

"Thank you, Zephir. Really."

However, Agent S’s expression wasn’t good, and neither were those of the others who had gone with him.

"The one hiding had the item to open the gate. As soon as they realized things had gone wrong, they opened the gate and escaped."

"Such... What do we do now? Should we track them immediately?"

"The gate’s coordinates can’t be traced. It opens randomly, and the coordinates can’t be tracked, so we’ll need to consult the gentleman’s family."

Taeju was bewildered. Thieving moles in a peaceful garden? What kind of disaster is this?

Despite his confusion, Taeju didn’t forget to thank the people who had come to help.

"Thank you so much today. Please come to the garden again. I’ll treat you to some good tea."

"Yes, I’ll definitely come."

"Agent, do you have a favorite food?"

"Huh? Well, any sweet food."

"Hehehe. Okay. I’ll treat you properly next time. Thank you today."

Agent S left with the moles, leaving behind a quaint line, "Helping a beautiful lady is my pleasure." Besides Agent S, P and others were seen glancing at the chicken, which seemed very attractive to them, as he had heard before.

"Gardener, since things are like this, let me introduce myself. I’m Hana."

"Hello, Hana. I’m Taeju."

"Hehe. It’s a bit awkward. We’ve been neighbors for quite a while, you know."

"Haha. That’s true."

Taeju and the group returned to the cottage. Hana was with them. It seemed best for everyone to gather together today.

*

"Stealth?"

"Yes. Stealth and infiltration. Skills I learned."

"No wonder. I couldn’t sense your presence at all."

Hana explained that she had been popular since childhood. To avoid annoying tasks, she learned stealth during her first growth and infiltration during her second growth.

"Can you choose the skills you learn when you grow?"

"Of course. Beastmen can choose their growth direction."

"Oh. Then Taesan can’t do that."

When Taeju was disappointed, Hana laughed and said that a pet’s growth happens in the direction that is most helpful to the pet, so there was no need to be disappointed.

"Taesan is brave, so maybe he’ll develop combat skills?"

"Hehehe. Maybe."

Taeju and Hana drank tea and spent time together until the shock subsided. Taesan, Taedan, Hye, and Zephir were with them.

*

Taeju and his siblings were singing along to a K-pop song on their way to the reserved cabin. Taeju, who didn’t know the song, was singing, but it sounded good, probably because Yeonwoo, a former idol, was there. Of course, Taesan, sitting between them, was eating snacks regardless of the song.

When Taeju first mentioned the trip, they thought about camping. Since Taesan was with them, camping seemed like a good idea. However, after seeing the list of items needed for winter camping, they decided to book a pet-friendly cabin.

The cabin they arrived at had a terrace for grilling meat and a fenced backyard where pets could be let loose. However, Taesan, who could easily jump over the fence, couldn’t be let out. The next door cabin had two dogs running around.

"Wow, they’re cute."

"Is that a poodle and a corgi?"

Taesan, excited by the sight of the dogs, wriggled to be let down. But Taeju was worried that the now stronger Taesan might hurt the dogs, so he didn’t let him down.

"How can such a small thing be so strong? Phew."

The wriggling Taesan calmed down when Tae saw Taeju take out a meat pack. The honest desire for the meat pack made everyone laugh.

As they grilled the prepared meat, sausages, and vegetables, the savory smell spread everywhere. The dogs from the next door cabin, smelling the food, were whining by the fence.

"They’re so embarrassing. Come here."

"Whine."

Taeju hesitated when he saw the person who came to get the dogs.

"Hello."

"Hello."

"Would you like some plain grilled meat? I grilled it so your dog can eat it too."

"Um, just a little, please."

Taeju held up Taesan and spoke. She seemed to be wary of strangers and looked like she was about to refuse, but with the dogs still by the fence, she asked for the meat, albeit reluctantly.

Taeju put some meat on a plate and handed it to her. The dogs were seen jumping and hanging onto her legs. After thanking Taeju, she took the dogs inside.

A little while later, she returned with a plate of fruit, which she had washed and placed on the other side of the fence. After a light nod, both of them turned around.

"Brother?"

"Hmm? Ah. Just thinking."

Taeju, who had been lost in thought, seemed strange to Tae, who called him. He stopped thinking about the next door cabin and focused on the barbecue.

The woman staying in the next door cabin was someone who would become a famous writer in a few years. She was still an aspiring writer but had won a contest and was now producing hit after hit.

Taeju had also appeared in one of her works. It was a fusion historical drama set in a kingdom similar to the Joseon era. Despite his young age, she loved historical dramas and always regretted their decline in popularity. She often talked about how she wanted to write a traditional historical drama someday, even though she had written fusion dramas to keep up with trends.

'She couldn’t write a traditional historical drama before she returned, but maybe she can this time.'

Seeing a younger version of an old acquaintance was quite enjoyable. Sometimes, he felt like he had traveled back in time in a time machine. At other times, it felt like he was secretly reading someone’s private diary.

'I was really surprised by her fresh look. I had only seen her with a bun and a sloppy tracksuit, but before her debut, she seemed more human.'

When the script was delayed and everyone was worried, she sent an SOS to Taeju. She specifically asked for his help, so Taeju and his manager, Yunseok, visited her studio. Taeju learned for the first time that a writer working from home could be messier than a staff member working on set.

The place was a mess, like a demon’s lair. If he hadn’t been told that she had a separate living space, he would have refused to meet her again. Despite her clean and concise writing, her studio was incredibly messy.

'Her request for help was also unusual, or rather, embarrassing.'

She had fallen in love with Taeju’s acting after seeing him read lines at a drama reading. She would occasionally visit the set to watch his performances. When she got stuck with the last two episodes, she asked Taeju for help.

She wanted to hear the lines of the character Taeju played in real life.

Reading lines was fine when done in front of a camera with makeup on, but it was incredibly embarrassing to do it in a messy studio, sitting in a chair, facing a writer with a bun.

Thinking about the work’s quality, he suppressed his embarrassment and read the lines until she resumed her work. Thanks to Taeju’s help, she completed the script, and the drama ended with a satisfactory rating.

If he had the chance to appear in another of her works in this life, Taeju would not hesitate. Even if he might receive an embarrassing request to read lines again, her scripts were really interesting, regardless of the request.