Having perfectly reconciled the maids' conflicting opinions, Namhyeon's final destination was a large amusement park located in Gyeonggi-do.
It was a perfect place capable of satisfying everyone's tastes at once, boasting spectacular landmarks and massive rides, an aquarium where one could see marine creatures, and even a large shopping mall nearby.
Namhyeon dredged up old memories and somehow managed to restore his driving instincts. He rented a large van spacious enough for the six maids and took the wheel himself. Glancing in the rearview mirror at the back seats, he saw the maids dressed in the varied casual outfits they had each picked out according to their own tastes from online shopping malls over the past few days, unable to take their eyes off the scenery outside the window.
"Wow, so this is what they call a car! This lump of metal rolls around on its own!"
Miria exclaimed in wonder, patting the soft leather seat.
Currently, all of the maids had transformed into appearances that were one hundred percent human, perfectly hiding the horns, tails, wings, and other draconic features that symbolized their nature as dragons. Having shed their originally massive builds to forcibly don human husks, they felt as suffocated as if wearing ill-fitting, overly tight clothes, but they endured without complaint because they absolutely could not be discovered as beings from another world.
Perhaps because it was their first time seeing the scenery of the real world with their own eyes after leaving the subspace, even the always-composed Hatsune was gazing in wonder at the dense forest of buildings outside the window and the cars zipping along the road. Seeing those unfamiliar yet gleeful faces, Namhyeon smiled softly and spoke.
"You can come out of the subspace sometimes. As long as you don't cause any accidents."
"Really, Master?!"
Para's eyes sparkled like stars as she suddenly poked her head forward from the back seat.
"Yes. But you must go around strictly in pairs of two. And never—ever—cause any conspicuous accidents."
The moment Namhyeon's permission was granted, the car was immediately filled with dolphin-like cheers. Now, the thrilling right to go out in the real world had been bestowed upon them as well.
"Hatsune, it might be a bit troublesome keeping the kids in line outside, but please keep an eye on them."
"Yes, Master. I shall keep that in mind."
"Ah, and one more thing."
Namhyeon stopped the car at a red light and turned around.
"Don't call me 'Master' outside."
If he were to be called "Master" in booming voices by a legion of conspicuously beautiful women right in the middle of a crowded amusement park, he would obviously be plastered all over internet communities and SNS immediately.
"Th-then...?"
"Well then. Something normal like 'Namhyeon-ssi'? I think that would be just right for outside."
"N-Namhyeon... ssi..."
At the thought of calling her master's name, whom she was to serve for life, Hatsune's face instantly flushed red as if it would burst. Seeing Hatsune trembling her lips as if she might faint at any moment, Miria cut in with a giggle.
"We'll just comfortably call you 'Oppa'! Anyway, in human eyes, we probably just look like little sisters!"
"Oppaaa♥"
When even Cerina chimed in with a sticky sweetness, the car was engulfed in waves of laughter.
Amid such warm conversation, the car had before long arrived at the entrance of the massive amusement park. It was the weekend, and countless crowds had packed in with barely room to stand, pouring toward the fantasy land as if being sucked in.
The car doors opened, and the six dragons, transformed into the forms of perfect young beauties, finally took their first steps into the crowds of the real world, following behind Namhyeon.
"Hurry! Ma—no, Oppa! Hurry!"
The moment they passed through the amusement park gate, Para, whose excitement had reached its peak, grabbed Namhyeon's arm tightly and pulled him relentlessly.
"Para! How dare you be so rude...!"
"It's okay, Hatsune. Let them play to their hearts' content today."
Though Hatsune frowned and tried to stop her, Namhyeon merely smiled benevolently and shook the wallet containing the premium pass. It was a premium ticket that allowed them to ride most attractions with a priority pass, bypassing lines by the power of capitalism.
"Alright, everyone split up and look around in pairs of two like we discussed in the car. Let's meet in front of the central fountain before lunch."
No sooner had those words fallen than the most energetic Para and Cerina shot off like arrows toward the attraction zone with the roller coaster. Miria and Tiara, being truly serious about food, sniffed the air of the amusement park and promptly vanished into the food zone crowded with snack corners.
All that remained were the calmest head maid Hatsune and guardian angel Flora. Namhyeon turned to the two and asked.
"Do you two want to go shopping or something?"
"Yes." (Hatsune)
"Okay, Ma—ahem. Oppa." (Flora)
The three headed for the large shopping mall located inside the amusement park. Hatsune's eyes sparkled as she looked over luxurious teacup sets and tableware, while Flora watched the diverse clothing of modern people with great interest.
While the two women were deeply engrossed in shopping, Namhyeon browsed a nearby gift shop and bought six cute keychains featuring the amusement park mascot. He planned to hand them out as souvenirs to each maid later when they returned.
After a leisurely stroll through the zoo, riding simple attractions like the merry-go-round, and taking photos, the promised lunchtime approached before they knew it.
Namhyeon took a smartphone out of his pocket and pressed the call button. They were the latest smartphones he had signed up for under his own name and distributed to each maid so they could adapt to the outside world. Not long after he made the rounds of calls, girls with hands full of snacks or faces flushed with excitement gathered one by one. Every single one wore an expression of one hundred percent satisfaction.
"Next, let's go see the animals!"
Para, the most excited, jumped up and down while munching on a churro.
"Oppa, come with us too!"
"Sure, let's do that."
Namhyeon smiled, stroking Para's head as if she were a little sister.
"There really is such a wide variety of food in this world. The combination of ingredients and the spices are truly fascinating."
Tiara was already burning with academic passion, analyzing the skewers and hotdogs in both hands, while Miria devoured the high-calorie snacks beside her like a black hole, yet still showed off her slender figure.
Namhyeon watched them fondly, then turned his head toward Hatsune and Flora.
"You two should look around more places this afternoon after we eat."
"Yes, Ma..."
"Ahem."
When Namhyeon playfully widened his eyes, Hatsune's face instantly flushed as red as a tomato.
"N-Namhyeon... ssi..."
When Hatsune finally managed to spit out that title in a voice as small as a mosquito's, Namhyeon burst into a satisfied laugh.
The afternoon schedule was a zoo and safari tour with Namhyeon, Para, and Cerina.
Watching the marine creatures swimming inside the massive tanks, the dragons who had hidden their tails poured out continuous exclamations of awe. Even when riding the safari bus to see the beasts, Para was stuck flat against the window, refusing to peel away.
"Oppa! Buy me that!"
On the way out after finishing the safari, when Para pointed at a colorful character helium balloon and begged, Namhyeon readily opened his wallet and placed one balloon each into Para and Cerina's hands. The sight of the two young girls smiling brightly beneath the sunlight, alongside the tall and handsome Namhyeon, was enough to catch the eyes of passersby.
Click.
Somewhere in the crowd enjoying the cheerful atmosphere, someone with their face deeply hidden beneath a hat and mask was secretly capturing that heartwarming scene through a camera lens.
The several covertly taken photos were immediately transmitted via someone's messenger.
At the same time. Inside a dark room.
Jia's pupils expanded grotesquely as she scanned the photos from the amusement park arriving one after another on the LCD screen.
"Hyun... did you get a girl?"
After Namhyeon had left the dormitory, Jia had mobilized all her money and power to secretly deploy people. She had been tracking Namhyeon's movements, having him investigated, and waiting for an opportunity.
And in the photos just sent by the informant, there was a clear shot of Namhyeon smiling so brightly, and the dazzling beauties (Para and Cerina) holding balloons with their arms hooked through his without a hint of reservation.
"Ah... I see. My Hyun got another woman besides me... So that's why he said he wanted to leave me behind and live comfortably."
Jia's twisted brain structure thoroughly distorted the situation once again to suit her own taste. Having completely blacked out the fact that she had suffocated Namhyeon, she began to lay all the blame on "those fox bitches who rolled in from somewhere."
A spine-chilling laugh leaked from between Jia's lips as she gripped her phone screen tightly enough to break it.
"Whoever you are... how dare you touch my man? Ahahaha... Ahahahahaha!!"
A terrible mad laughter filled the room.
The suppressed killing intent of an S-Rank Hunter was finally exploding uncontrollably toward the wrong target (the dragon maids).
By sunset, the maids who had roamed the amusement park all day had collapsed in the car like depleted batteries.
Originally, Namhyeon's subspace was basically structured so that it could be entered and exited anytime, anywhere by using 'Namhyeon himself' as the gate's mark (reference point). However, if a spatial mark was engraved in advance at a specific location, it was also possible to exit back through the original entrance or to go outside through another designated mark.
Namhyeon had engraved a spatial mark in advance in a secluded place near the amusement park, so thanks to that, without needing to drive the long distance while exhausted, he crossed the shimmering portal while still in the car and entered the mansion courtyard directly.
"Time to wake up. We're here."
Hatsune, who had been maintaining a straight posture in the passenger seat, turned around and woke the girls.
Groaning, Para and Miria rubbed their eyes, and the maids who had felt suffocated by the human skins forced upon them staggered out of the car as soon as it arrived at the mansion.
Namhyeon parked the car on one side of the mansion and rolled his stiff neck.
"Everyone had fun today, right? You must be very tired, so wash up and get some good rest. See you tomorrow."
At their master's kind farewell, the maids bowed politely and scattered to their respective rooms. In their hands, the small, cute mascot keychains that Namhyeon had bought for each of them at the amusement park gift shop were clutched tightly like precious treasures.
After showering, Namhyeon entered his bedroom and lay flat on the soft bed.
Staring at the ceiling, he recalled the bright smiles the maids had shown in the outside world today.
'This isn't so bad either.'
Although a perfectly stable life inside the subspace was peaceful, occasionally taking the children out to see the wide-open outside world like this seemed nice as well. Just as he was closing his eyes with a contented, sleepy smile—
Creak.
With the sound of the door opening carefully, someone entered the room.
"Master."
Gone were the awkward titles of 'Oppa' or 'Namhyeon-ssi' from outside; it was Hatsune, returned to her original, absolute title. She stood there wearing a thin, soft silk slip instead of the casual clothes from the day or her usual stiff maid uniform.
"Hatsune? You must be tired; you should have rested in your own room."
As Namhyeon raised himself up and asked, Hatsune caressed her flushed red cheeks and approached the bedside.
"Today... I wish to rest beside you, Master."
It was a languid, bewitching temptation, nothing like the usual strict and fastidious head maid. Namhyeon burst into a chuckle and teased her.
"What's this. In the end, you're no different from the other kids, Hatsune."
Hatsune's shoulders flinched as if struck in a vital point. Having been the one to scold Cerina and Flora so severely, accusing them of 'trying to monopolize the Master,' shame came flooding in.
"B-but I usually clearly distinguish between public and private matters, and in order to keep the younger ones under control..."
Just as Hatsune was trying to hurriedly spin excuses while avoiding his gaze, Namhyeon reached out and gently pulled the wrist of the hand she had been wandering in the empty air.
"I know. I was joking. Come here."
At his single low, affectionate call, Hatsune's stiff reasoning and excuses melted away like snow. Without resistance, she helplessly collapsed into Namhyeon's firm embrace. Holding the cute head maid tightly as she emitted a sweet scent, the night in Namhyeon's subspace once again drew to a close, deep and warm.