I Became a Foreign Worker Loved by Transcendents

Chapter 192: Respect Everyone’s Taste

Im Tae-yang.

He was one of the few people in this world, overflowing with garbage, who showed me kindness.

He was always quiet, so it was hard to know his true thoughts, but I knew he wasn’t a bad person...

“It happened about a month ago.”

His death was a great shock to me, and the vivid testimony I was hearing now brought the reality of it into sharp focus.

“When we went to gather materials needed for the refuge, the ground suddenly collapsed, and a giant mouth-like thing rose up from below the cliff.”

“A mouth?”

“A massive, dark... and filled with countless corpse-like figures writhing inside, a mysterious monster.”

A giant mouth swarming with corpses?

Could it be that a mass of entangled undead suddenly emerged and devoured everyone in the area?

“Quite a few people were caught up in it.”

No, this wasn’t just a simple undead.

It wasn’t like the Four Knights, who possessed intelligence—it was a massive monster capable of devastating an entire area on its own.

The danger level might even surpass that of a lich, who merely controlled corpses.

“The survivors couldn’t grasp what it was and just tried to flee as fast as they could. But those who were too frozen with fear to move properly were swallowed by the creature...”

Her hand slowly reached out toward an urn in the columbarium.

As she grasped the urn, a sorrowful expression appeared on her face.

“If only I hadn’t frozen in place...”

She wasn’t just mourning the death of a friend—there was a clear sense of guilt in her words.

“If he hadn’t reached out to save me, he wouldn’t have ended up like this.”

As I realized she was talking about the remains in the urn, the scene from that time began to form in my mind.

The collapsing ground, people falling one by one, the massive mouth opening wide as if to swallow the entire area, and the chaos of the writhing corpses inside...

The girl, unable to comprehend the situation, froze in place and would have met the same fate as those who had fallen before her.

But one man couldn’t bear to just watch and instinctively threw himself forward, grabbing her hand and tossing her to safety, only to find himself caught in the danger zone instead.

“This is all that’s left.”

That outcome was now in Ga-ram’s hand, revealed before me.

There was no need to cremate the body to ashes; just one hand bone, with the flesh removed, was preserved in the urn.

“By the time I realized he had thrown himself in my place, the monster that emerged from underground had already devoured his entire body, leaving only his hand that was holding mine.”

Yes, the reason she was alive at this moment was because he had sacrificed himself.

I knew that feeling all too well.

If someone hadn’t sacrificed themselves for me in the sanctuary, I wouldn’t be standing here facing Ga-ram.

“It’s not your fault.”

But wasn’t she too young to accept that?

In the normal world, she’d be just entering high school.

Her biggest concerns should be about her future or friendships, not survival.

“That’s what everyone says.”

Yet reality forced this girl to grow up far too quickly.

The environment of the refuge we were in, and the ring on her finger prove she was the master of this refuge.

“But you can’t deny that it would’ve been better for everyone if he had survived instead of me, right?”

“Well, that’s...!”

“He was a fully-fledged hero, and I’m just young and inexperienced... Even a fool could tell who would be better for the people in the refuge.”

Even though she was smiling, I couldn’t miss the self-loathing behind it.

I could feel it just by listening to her.

No matter how much she tried to adapt to reality, no matter how prepared she was to live in this cruel world, she was still too young to bear all this.

“I’m struggling just to take over this position in the lord’s place, but it doesn’t seem like he has any intention of coming back here...”

As she expressed her determination, she pulled out a few letters from her bosom.

The name ‘Cheska Plandor’ written on the letters indicated that Flang and Ga-ram had been exchanging letters even while on the expedition.

And the consistent phrase that concluded each of those letters:

[And Ga-ram, if I don’t return, I’m entrusting the entire Plandor family to you.]

The frilly dress she wore was so different from the image I had of her that it felt almost alien.

“You made such a beautiful dress for me; I don’t even know how to express my gratitude!”

Francheska, the protector of humanity.

And to most people, the Emperor’s illegitimate child and the aloof, calculating young head of a noble family.

“Oh my~ Every word you say is just so adorable, my dear!”

Seeing such a person in a dress, acting so coyly, was an enormous shock to me.

It wasn’t just when she was Cheska.

Even as Flang, she always maintained an air of haughtiness, perfectly fulfilling her role as a maid.

“Come, my dear, don’t stand there. Come over here where the light is better...”

“Is this where I should stand?”

“Yes, yes~ Now you can see much better~ Ah! Just wait a moment; I have something just perfect for you...”

In that bewildering situation, Tashian took out a ribbon and placed it on her head.

With careful hands, Tashian tied her golden hair into twin tails, and an even more heartfelt sigh of admiration escaped her lips.

“Oh my~ This makes you so pretty, my dear~ You’re almost unrecognizable from when I first saw you!”

“Really? Wow~!”

What on earth is this?

Why is Tashian, who should be repairing her, styling Flang’s outfit, and why is Flang smiling and accepting it so happily?

And Flang, weren’t you terrified of Tashian before you came here?

“You’re all dressed up so beautifully; it wouldn’t be right to just stand still. Come, my dear, strike a pose for Mommy.”

“Pose? Like this?”

“Yes, yes~ Strike that pose, and express how you truly feel right now. What do you think of Mommy, Flang?”

Tashian clasped her hands together and gazed at Flang with expectant eyes.

At Tashian’s words, Flang paused to think for a moment, and then a bright smile, one I’d never seen before, spread across her face.

“I love you~!”

A voice so sincere and full of love, without a hint of falsehood, spoken with such confidence.

“I love Mommy the most in the world, ehehe~♡”

...Ah, um.

Yeah, well, let’s not overthink it. It’s probably just one of those things.

I mean, I’d be too embarrassed to say something like that to Tashian, but it’s not exactly wrong, is it?

It might even be better for her to maintain a cheerful mood like this rather than being constantly depressed about what happened at the sanctuary.

“Ahem!!”

But aside from that, I did come here for a reason.

I cleared my throat loudly, and only then did Tashian notice my presence, immediately expressing her delight.

“Oh my, my son is here! I heard you went outside earlier; are you hurt anywhere?”

“You don’t need to worry about me. I’m more concerned about Flang... Is she alright?”

“The facilities here are excellent, so her treatment was stable. There are several functions that need adjusting, but it won’t interfere with her ability to move or live normally.”

That’s a relief, I thought as I quietly turned my gaze to Flang.

And there she was, a girl who stiffened and blushed the moment she realized I was there.

“Ah, um, this... this is...”

Was it that she didn’t want to show herself like this?

Her face flushed with embarrassment as she looked at me, but I had already made up my mind not to dwell on the situation.

“Don’t worry, Flang. I understand everything.”

“I get what you’re thinking, but please calm down and listen to me first.”

“We should respect everyone’s tastes.”

“It’s not like that at all!!!”

The room grew chaotic with her outburst of shock.

“Our little one is so full of energy~ I’m glad to see you’re recovering well~”

Tashian smiled brightly, taking even that reaction in a positive light.