* * *

As soon as I reached the bedroom, I tried to lay Baek Yigang down… well, I attempted to.

“Cheong Dowoon… what are you doing right now?”

“Well, normally, this is the part where you fall over on your own…”

The plan was to push Baek Yigang onto the bed, knock him down gracefully, sit beside him with a calm smile, and show off my immense power!

…But that was my overly ambitious plan, which failed miserably from the start.

I had momentarily forgotten that Baek Yigang was stronger than me.

Baek Yigang, who was looking down at me with a bored expression as I struggled to push him, sighed briefly and sat willingly at the edge of the bed… or rather, let himself sit down.

Damn Baek Yigang.

“I’ll cure your insomnia.”

“You said you needed Ian’s help, but it seems you’ve achieved your goal.”

“Well, yeah. Now close your eyes.”

If I were to recount everything that happened with Ian, it would be endless, but the important part was that I had achieved my purpose.

With a casual nod, I placed my hand on Baek Yigang’s forehead, who had closed his eyes.

Soon, a soft, white light began to seep out, glowing brightly around us.

It was a natural phenomenon that occurred when a large amount of holy power transferred at once.

This time, he seemed to feel the influx of energy as his eyebrows furrowed slightly.

‘…It’s less than I thought.’

I had expected a fair amount of power to remain, but only a small trace was left after it was all absorbed.

It must mean his ailment was that severe.

If Ian hadn’t changed his mind midway and infused holy power steadily, I would have had to meet him at least five more times.

I had thought of practicing and honing my skills with the remaining power, but it wasn’t to be.

A pity, but there would be another chance someday.

As I withdrew my hand, Baek Yigang opened his eyes.

His lifeless, violet irises were tinged with curiosity.

He inspected his body as if confused and spoke.

“It doesn’t feel like anything’s changed.”

“That’s because you haven’t slept yet. Lie down here, and you’ll see.”

I straightened the wrinkled pillow and patted the bed to urge him to lie down.

“Now, you’ll be able to fall asleep on your own without needing me every night. You’ll even be able to nap like other people, and when your body is tired, your eyes will close whether you want them to or not. When that happens, you’ll need the medicine Hwangui gave you earlier.”

Just the thought of that herbal vinegar made my throat sting and my eyes pop open.

Drinking it must be something else.

Baek Yigang would come to realize the bliss of not knowing that atrocious taste soon enough.

“Is that what’s considered normal?”

With a subtle expression, Baek Yigang posed his question in an enigmatic tone.

He had never been troubled by being overly sleepy, so it seemed difficult to grasp my words immediately.

“Yes, this is normal. And in the morning, you wake up to see the sun already risen, just like everyone else.”

At last, one of Baek Yigang’s two long-held wishes had come true.

I still vividly remembered how absurd I felt when he first asked me to cure his incurable disease.

“‘Like everyone else’…”

As he processed my words slowly, Baek Yigang exhaled a deep breath, his gaze reflecting an unidentifiable emotion.

So, what now?

Would he say thank you?

It was the perfect moment for him to express his gratitude.

Then, Baek Yigang’s lips, which had been pressed tightly shut, parted gradually.

Of course… Even Baek Yigang would have to be grateful for having an illness that tormented him for so long cured.

Though I wished I could see him ascend to the throne, it was a bit disappointing that I’d leave before witnessing it.

But even without me, Baek Yigang had the princess of Arthe.

If they married, the throne was as good as secured.

“Well then.”

His voice, now softer and even, reverberated quietly.

“I should sleep now.”

…What?

“…Huh?”

I blinked in confusion and stared at him with a blank expression.

Of course, there was no need for a lengthy response, but wasn’t this… a little too brief?

“Sleep, you mean…?”

Baek Yigang met my eyes, laid down without a trace of reluctance, and spoke matter-of-factly.

“I need to sleep now to wake up early. Like I said, there’s a lot of work tomorrow.”

He even pulled up the blanket snugly and blew out the candle on the table beside the bed.

A gentle puff, and the room plunged into pitch darkness.

“Th-That’s… Is that it?”

I stammered incredulously, standing forlornly in the dark.

The faint moonlight trickling in through the window illuminated Baek Yigang’s face, catching the slight curve of his violet eyes as they narrowed and shimmered subtly.

“Is there a problem?”

It was a clear question, though he didn’t mean to truly ask.

Whether he knew I stood there in shock or not, Baek Yigang glanced at me with an indifferent gaze before closing his eyes.

Before long, I heard the steady sound of his breathing as he fell asleep.

“You’re… already asleep…? For real? Seriously?”

Wow, the effect of the holy power is incredible!

Seeing such immediate improvement is astonishing… except, how can he fall asleep so quickly?!

That’s absurd!

Feeling an overwhelming mix of surprise and frustration, I covered my mouth.

I was so taken aback, words failed me.

“…Of course. That’s just how he is.”

There wasn’t even the slightest hint of gratitude on his face.

What a waste of worry on my part!

Damn that Baek Yigang!

But seriously, isn’t there any way to fix that messed-up personality?

If someone with that temperament became emperor, wouldn’t the empire be doomed?

There was a reason the main character was someone else.

If the hidden villain took the throne and the country fell apart…

“Sigh…”

Resting my hand on my forehead, I sank to the floor, tension leaving my body in a rush.

I couldn’t put this odd feeling into words.

To be honest, I wasn’t entirely unprepared for this.

I had hoped, considering I had cured Baek Yigang of a long illness, that he might show some gratitude.

But deep down, I knew that ‘that Baek Yigang’ was unlikely to easily say thank you.

I just didn’t think that flimsy belief would actually become reality.

“Cheong Dowoon, get it together. You can’t fall apart here.”

Slapping my cheeks, I shakily stood up again. N

ow, with Baek Yigang asleep, it was the perfect time to check on his gratitude levels.

No matter how disheartening, I had to confirm it.

Soon, the familiar system window appeared before my eyes.

[SYSTEM: Would you like to check the gratitude level of the main character, ‘Ha Il Dirzio’?]

The blue letters shimmered like mist. I pressed ‘Yes,’ and the loading time was longer than before.

Swallowing hard, I waited silently until the new window appeared.

[SYSTEM: The current gratitude level of ‘Ha Il Dirzio’ towards player ‘Cheong Dowoon’ is 15%.

※Note: This system reflects real-time updates, which may take time to process.]

“…Well, I expected this, but damn, that’s stingy.”

---

After enduring a long, grueling time to grant his wish, it only increased by a mere 10%.

I expected it to reach double digits, but I didn’t think it would just be exactly 10%.

I was hoping for at least a 20% rise! That damn Baek Yigang completely crushed my expectations.

“Wait a second… If this keeps going, will he not even thank me after becoming Emperor?”

At this rate, even if he becomes Emperor, it might just increase by another 10%. That would bring it to 25%.

Wow, I never saw this coming.

Typically, when I grant a wish, every single protagonist, without exception, shows their gratitude.

The idea that ‘even after granting a wish, I might not wake from the possession’ never even crossed my mind.

But now, it suddenly did.

Granting a wish and not even getting a word of thanks?

How miserable is that…!

Forget when I said it would be better if Baek Yigang didn’t thank me.

I take that back. Completely.

Can’t he at least offer a polite word, even if it’s insincere? You crazy guy!

“How long do I have to keep playing the wish-granting fairy for this damn black-hearted villain…?”

The thought that it might never end sent a shiver down my spine.

Looking at Baek Yigang’s peacefully sleeping face, purring like a kitten, I felt like it had never looked so wicked before…

Well, maybe not the first time.

But it was serious now.

“Baek Yigang…! Hey, don’t sleep! Wake up! Give me back my precious divine power!!”

Is 10% even fair? Are you even human?!

Despairing, I finally climbed onto the bed, gently grabbed Baek Yigang by the collar, and shook him carefully.

Naturally, Baek Yigang didn’t wake up.

* * *