Goddess Kingmaker – Chapter 6

Author: Chewyy

Standing before a massive portrait that covered an entire wall, I gaped in astonishment.

Seeing my reaction, Roen chattered incessantly, amused.

Being carried in her arms made it frustrating to examine only one person at a time, but if Roen was happy, then so was I.

At least this way, I could familiarize myself with my father’s face in advance—nothing bad about that.

“This is His Majesty, the Emperor. You saw him yesterday, right?”

“huh.”

The face in the portrait, which had a heavy atmosphere, was not very welcoming. The people that followed weren’t any better.

“This is the late Crown Prince, and the two princes next to him are His Highness the Grand Dukes.”

“Huh.”

‘Pass. Let’s skip this line.’

Seeing the scheming faces behind the Emperor, struggling to suppress their laughter, made me feel sick.

Tugging at Roen’s clothes, I signaled for her to move on quickly, which made her smile for some reason.

“Our little baby. You’re so good at responding.”

“Yeah!”

So please, just hurry up.

Why was it so difficult to see my father’s face? If this went on, I’d end up meeting the entire family tree. Just as I was about to pout—

“Huh?”

‘What is this?’

“Huhhh?”

‘Is this even a person?’

I might be a god, but even I was at a loss for words when I saw my father’s face in the portrait.

His hair was a slightly darker shade than mine, his crimson eyes burned like fire, and his face was sculpted like a masterpiece—

‘Maybe Belzer could be a fair comparison?’

For a moment, I, a former god, questioned whether this man was even mortal. His beauty was unlike anything I had ever seen.

“…Ah, appa.”

“Yes, this is your father, baby.”

“Mmm.”

Maybe because he was so handsome, I didn’t feel too bad about calling him dad when we first met.

After all, if someone’s good-looking, they’re an “oppa” first, then they become a “dad.”

TL: ‘Oppa’ is brother in Korean

Roen whispered, as if understanding my reaction.

“I was so surprised at first. I thought it was a statue from a temple.”

“No, no.”

There is no statue like this in the temple.

As a former goddess, I know that best.

But I can’t just admire his appearance forever.

It’s no different for me to have been born in this land as this man’s daughter.

‘Hi, Dad.’

My small hand reached out toward my father’s face in the portrait. His flawless skin looked as if it wouldn’t feel any different even if I actually touched it.

‘You may not believe it, but I am your daughter.’

Ignoring Roen’s warning to stop, I kept staring into the crimson eyes in the portrait.

‘Just wait.’

It’s an unbelievable story, and it hasn’t even started yet.

‘I will make you the emperor!’

◇ ◆ ◇

A week in Gonjiam.

TL: Gonjiam is a mental hospital located in South Korea. Horror stories have emerged about how terrifying this place was after it was closed.

I modified my plan a little bit.

Before making Duke Targa Berk—my father—the future Emperor, I needed to survive first.

‘To be honest, isn’t this too much?’

Abuse isn’t just about physical violence or harsh words. It was as if everyone had forgotten I existed—no one paid me any attention.

Except for one person.

“Baby! Am I too late?”

“Aaang!”

Roen, it’s Roen!

Roen brought food!

At this point, just hearing her footsteps made my mouth water.

Pride meant nothing when survival was at stake.

“I’m sorry. I should have come sooner. I didn’t realize you were already awake.”

“Ugh!”

“Oh, please eat first.”

Roen, who was feeling sorry for me, took out a small bowl from her arms.

The smell of corn soup boiled in milk and butter wafting from the round bread was ecstatic.

It wasn’t just worse than the middle realm’s food—it was worse than the cafeteria meals in my past life’s South Korea. But I wasn’t in a position to complain.

Because…

“Baby. I should have given you something better.”

“…..”

This meal was originally meant for Roen.

“But my younger siblings had corn soup as their baby food too, so I’m sure it’ll suit your taste.”

“……”

“Hurry and eat, okay? Say ‘Ahh.’”

‘If I ate all this, what about Roen?’

‘What was she supposed to eat?’

“…Ahhh.”

My emotions aside, I was still a nine-month-old baby.

As I instinctively opened my mouth wide, Roen blew on the white soup and gently fed me.

“You need to grow up strong, Baby.”

“Mmm.”

‘I will. I will definitely do that.’

I couldn’t afford to grow up weak, taking food from someone else.

I had to become strong enough to take care of Roen, too.

I had sworn not to trust anyone recklessly, but someone who fed me was an exception.

‘Roen is different. She’s on my side!’

Belzer would laugh at this, but true friendships shine when you have nothing.

In a situation where it was hard to get worse than mine, Roen fed me, clothed me, and put me to bed without a single day off.

She even cleaned up this vast, useless space, making it somewhat livable.

Despite having nothing to gain, Roen never once frowned or showed any displeasure.

“Huft…”

However, it seemed that she couldn’t help but look a little tired.

“I should hurry back and finish my work… Parma will be angry.”

“……”

I see.

I quietly stared at Roen’s cracked fingertips.

As much as I loved food, the reason I opened my heart to Roen wasn’t just because she fed me.

For the past week, I’ve been hearing stories about Roen, whether I like it or not.

I also learned that she was an illegitimate child of a noble family like me, that she was struggling alone to support her younger siblings, and just how exhausting her job was.

Of course, someone like Roen wouldn’t vent to a baby.

She only let these things slip in passing, like casual grumbles.

But I knew working under someone like Parma couldn’t be easy.

“Still, seeing you give me so much strength.”

“Huh?”

“You remind me of my younger siblings. Though they’re not as adorable as you….”

Let’s see.

Listening to her story made me think about my past lives.

I had never chosen an easy path—always picking the hardest routes for the sake of earning points.

As a concubine’s child in the Joseon Dynasty, a freedom fighter during Japanese rule, then a modern-day South Korean born into poverty.

Most of my lives had been spent in Korea, not because I was particularly attached to it, but because familiarity made adaptation easier.

But back then, at least my family was warm.

Even if we were poor, even if our clothes were shabby, we still found things to laugh about.

Thanks to that, I never once forgot the mission I had to fulfill as a god.

That is, to do your best in the life given to you and achieve the maximum that you can.

That is the shortcut to the double points set by the Creator, preventing gods who have grown complacent from frequent reincarnations from merely “killing time until they die.” In that sense, I hit the jackpot in my previous life.

Why?

Because I was born in a shantytown and got into Seoul National University’s medical school through regular admissions.

“Our baby is really smart. Just look at those sparkling eyes.”

“Ugh.”

Not really.

I felt awkward at Roen’s praise.

What’s the point of hitting the jackpot when I ended up losing everything after being deceived by someone I called a friend?

But I was born into the most difficult life ever, so I was going to do my best this time too.

‘Honestly, with this level of difficulty, I should get ten times the points.’

The final score would only be calculated at the end of my life, but considering how many near-death experiences I had already survived, I had some reason to be hopeful.

For thousands of years, the Creator’s judging criteria had been clear—

The highest value was placed on lives that overcame hardships and inspired hope in as many people as possible.

The ultimate goal was to instill faith in humanity, making them think, “See? There really is a god!”

In that sense, my current life was perfect for making people believe in a god.

If my father—an illegitimate child labeled a monster—were to rise above his siblings and take the throne, it would be hard for people not to believe in divine intervention.

‘And on top of that, I’ll win the bet, too!’

Honestly, that was what mattered more to me right now.

Putting aside the evaluation of this life, if I won the bet, that would be the end of it. I wouldn’t have to worry about losing all the points I had accumulated so far. Who knows? I might even surpass Belzer.

“Aaang!”

‘Roen, let’s do our best together!’

I, who had entered a mental victory similar to brainwashing, tightly held Roen’s finger.

Perhaps feeling the strength in my tiny baby hand, she chuckled in amusement before smiling weakly.

“Huft, it’s really hard to turn away and leave you alone.”

“……”

I had been observing Roen’s schedule for days, and she still had a mountain of tasks to complete.

Even so, she struggled to leave, hesitating as she tried to put me to sleep.

“Shh, go to sleep, my dear baby. You need to rest.”

“…….”

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

She rubbed her cheek awkwardly under my steady gaze.