“Phantom Thief, I’ve been thinking. It seems like you’ll have to move yourself. I don’t quite trust leaving it in anyone else’s hands.”“If it’s about the youngest, hm… it cannot be helped. Go ahead and tell me. Everything we do is ultimately for the sake of our brothers, isn’t it?”Hyde gave a small laugh and patted Phantom Thief’s shoulder. Phantom Thief adjusted his monocle slightly and cleared his throat. He was a man stingy with praise, but whenever Hyde spoke like this, it always meant a major task was being entrusted to him.And whenever that happened, Phantom Thief Kill would thoroughly investigate and resolve the case. This time, too, that intuition proved correct.“Phantom Thief, that’s why I like you. You and I are always on the same wavelength.”“Haa… then it seems I won’t be seeing the others for a while.”“Don’t be disheartened. I’ll smooth things over. If you miss Uichan, you can always send him a letter or two. It’s all for the greater good, isn’t it?”“Yes… a letter, huh. Sigh. So, what exactly is it you want me to do?”Hyde’s gaze fixed on the box neatly filled with corpses. The otters that had just finished their work were wiping each other’s faces and calmly tidying themselves before vanishing with a faint pop.“I need you to steal something. As quietly as possible, without getting caught. I’ll let you know the place and time later.”“Does it have anything to do with the ear you entrusted to Mother Ship?”“We’ll see when we retrieve it… though let’s hope not.”Phantom Thief Kill collected the cards stuck in the ground and slipped them back into his deck. The corpses had disappeared, but the goblin blood splattered across the floor still reeked sharply. With a snap of Hyde’s fingers, the scenery around them shifted completely.They were now standing on a plateau overgrown with flowers.“What will you do in the meantime, Hyde?”“Ah, I have something else to take care of.”Speaking softly, Hyde turned his back and walked through the flower field. Suddenly, he noticed a red flower blooming and reached out to pluck it. The fragrant blossom was shamelessly vivid, opening wide as if to catch attention. Phantom Thief Kill found himself startled.Hyde’s face, holding the flower, had changed into that of an ordinary man. But it wasn’t the transformation itself that surprised him — Hyde’s illusions were always aesthetically perfect, even after changing skins.This time, however, the disguise was simple, even plain — the kind of face one would forget after brushing past it once. He even looked somewhat unattractive.“So, for the time being, don’t follow me. Let’s enjoy a little private life for once.”Phantom Thief Kill wondered why he had changed his face like that, but soon shook his head. Whatever Hyde was planning, delving deeper would do no good. For the sake of their brotherhood’s peace, as always, Phantom Thief Kill would simply move ahead and clear the dangers.Until Hyde’s presence completely faded, Phantom Thief Kill stood there, silently immersed in the green, tranquil scenery of the mountain plateau.***Uichan quietly held the new ultrasound photo in both hands, staring down at it. Three bean-sized dots ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) were nestled inside — strange, unbelievable, yet real. The third one, hidden behind the two gestational sacs before, was now faintly visible. Still blurry… like a candle flame ready to go out at the slightest breath.“Mr. Ha Uichan, you said there hasn’t been any major pain since that day, right?”“Eh? Ah… yes.”“Have you spoken with the fathers of the babies?”“……”Uichan lowered his head, gripping the photo. Reading the silence, the doctor only gave an awkward little laugh. With three babies involved, there were clearly circumstances he couldn’t pry into — or perhaps the fathers knew but chose to ignore it. Either way, it was an awkward situation to comment on.Instead of pressing further, Oh Juhyuk calmly summarized the medical situation.“So far, the babies are holding on. But there’s a slight difference in gestational age between them. About two weeks apart. If the gap widens any further, it’ll be dangerous.”He explained in a steady voice that time was short. If the growth disparity increased, it could lead to a miscarriage. Before that happened, he advised Uichan to have a serious talk with the fathers.‘Should I ask if the wound’s healed yet?’He debated whether to speak or stay silent — and finally chose to swallow the thought. The ultrasound had quietly snuffed out the hope he’d been clinging to. He had wondered if maybe, just maybe, one of the babies possessed a healing ability, and that the third would recover through that link.But the results said otherwise. The babies had grown slightly older, but otherwise nothing had changed. The third was still struggling, gasping for life.Bringing up healing now would only complicate things. Once there was certainty, he could talk about it later. After hearing a few more recommendations from the doctor, Uichan carefully tucked the photo away and left the office.At that moment, as the nurse called the next patient, someone brushed shoulders with him in passing. Uichan, his hat pulled low, looked up. The man facing him was slightly taller, with an unremarkable, ordinary face.Their eyes met, and Uichan instinctively bowed.“Ah… I’m sorry. I wasn’t paying attention.”“No, it’s fine. I didn’t see you either. But… you came out of the obstetrics room alone. Are you a male expectant parent?”Startled, Uichan glanced around — the waiting room was empty. He looked back up at the man. In this clinic, male obstetric cases weren’t uncommon, so the question wasn’t strange. Among people in the same situation, such curiosity was natural.Still, the man didn’t look like an expectant father at all. His broad shoulders, tall build, and the sturdy air about him made it hard to believe he could be carrying a child.Of course, there were all kinds of cases in the world, and no one should judge too soon. But there was no sign of a wife or partner nearby — he seemed to be alone. Which meant, in all likelihood…“Yes, somehow it turned out that way. But how did you know?”“What a coincidence. I’m a soon-to-be father too.”…Wait, really? Uichan’s eyes widened as he looked up at the man towering over him. Noticing his shock, the man scratched the back of his head with an awkward smile.“Haha… yeah, I get that look a lot. I couldn’t believe it myself until a few days ago. So… how many weeks are you?”“Ah, sorry. I just felt a bit of kinship. I’m in my eighth week now.”“I’m nine weeks. Pretty close then. Anyway, I’d better get going. Take care of yourself — I hope you have a beautiful baby.”“Yes, thank you. You too — have a beautiful baby.”At the words “beautiful baby,” warmth bloomed softly in his chest. That sense of shared understanding, of not being alone — it lifted his spirits. Feeling lighter, Uichan stepped outside into the sunlight, looked up at the blazing sky once, then stopped at the crosswalk.“Uh…”A faint ache spread low in his abdomen. It wasn’t new; he’d felt this kind of pain before, so he decided to wait a bit. Still, to be safe, he bought a chocolate drink — the babies’ favorite — and sat at a nearby rest area to monitor it.“This feels… strange.”The pain was getting worse. Were the babies fighting again? He nervously rubbed his belly, glancing at the hospital sign across the street. Maybe he should go back. But even if he did, they’d just give him painkillers.“Still, maybe I should go anyway…”Anything could happen, and it might be better to be inside the hospital when it did. He stood up quickly, ready to run — but his knees gave out, and he collapsed with a wet thud.“Ah… huh…”The pain surged so violently that his whole body trembled. Clutching the bench for support, he groaned, accidentally knocking over his drink. It spilled across the pavement like a dark river, quickly soaking into the dirt.“No… ha… kids…”Curling over, Uichan grabbed his abdomen. Fear overtook pain. If the third baby didn’t make it — if the others followed in the chaos — he couldn’t bear it.He tried to stand, but kept slipping back onto the bench. Sweat drenched him completely; his hair stuck to his forehead and temples, cold drops rolling down his chin. And then, through the blur, he noticed someone kneeling in front of him.The man didn’t seem to care that the ground was stained with spilled drink. He knelt there, right before Uichan. With hazy eyes, Uichan strained to see who it was. And then—“Uichan.”A man in an immaculate shirt, gray eyes gleaming, called his name. His voice was languid, gentle, almost intoxicating.“What are you doing here?”He smiled softly and reached toward the panting Uichan on the bench. He removed Uichan’s thick-rimmed glasses and gently touched his face. The coolness of his hand against the feverish skin made Uichan flinch — then cling to it desperately, like a man finding an oasis in the desert.“Ha… h, ha…”“Do you need help?”

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