“……”

“Kuruk?”

“Hmmm.”

Gio was lost in shallow thoughts.

It wasn’t the first time he realized that his personality could change.

“There’s also Giovanni’s case.”

But now, Gio was starting to feel something he hadn’t noticed before—he seemed to often stray from his usual personality, especially when interacting with people outside in the ‘portrait’ state.

“If I think about it, complimenting the staff or giving sudden gifts isn’t exactly a normal reaction.”

“Kuruk?”

“There were older people than me, but as a strong man from a country that values Eastern etiquette, the fact that I behaved like that... honestly, considering my current state, it's not exactly normal.”

The problem was that Gio didn’t feel discomfort about these changes.

“At the time, I just thought it was natural.”

Certainly, it seemed like the ‘portrait’ identity was changing him.

“Gods and spirits…”

“Kkungkkung….”

“When I stayed in the portrait, I didn’t feel anything unusual because it felt the same as usual.”

“Kuruk?”

“No, it’s fine.”

Whether his personality changed or anything else changed, Gio wasn’t deterred by such minor mysteries.

“But I should be careful not to act rudely toward others.”

At this rate, it seemed like he could pat the head of a stranger without hesitation.

“I can’t do something disgraceful like that. Who would act like that?”

Patting someone's head was something that only happened in stories or when a parent did it to their child. Even if they were lovers, such bold gestures were avoided, and Gio felt the need to maintain composure.

“Of course, I’ve never had a lover.”

“…….”

“Don’t look at your father like that.”

It’s not like I’ve never had a lover.

“Anyway, changes in personality aren’t that strange. When I went on a trip to Seoul, there were times when I felt more self-aware as Giovanni... and I think it’s somewhat related to the topic I’m struggling with now.”

But it didn’t feel like his personality had truly changed.

“If it were that serious, I would have noticed earlier.”

If he had to put it into words, it was more like the feeling of remembering forgotten memories.

“I wouldn’t call it ‘Seojio’, but I guess it’s something like that….”

“…Kkuruk?”

“It’s not split personality. It’s just a mistake.”

In his past life, Gio lived as a kind and smiling priest, Giovanni, but in this life, he lived as Seojio, someone who sometimes heard remarks like, ‘Don’t you know how to smile?’ It was similar to occasionally recalling forgotten habits from a past life.

“I didn’t expect issues to arise from my identity as a portrait.”

Gio murmured.

“Seems like it’s a problem similar to resolution. Trying to act human with the body of a portrait might be causing errors. My speech is getting stiffer, and my actions and thoughts are getting strange…”

It seemed like he had to be careful.

“I’ll make more efforts to self-objectify in the future.”

“Kkung.”

“Are you saying it’s bothersome? Honey, you need to work on your social skills.”

As Gio grumbled, he placed the round, soft bird on his hand and rolled it around. Honey, rolling like a soft water pouch, didn’t seem particularly bothered.

“Are you happy?”

“Kkururururu.”

“I see.”

Surprised by the change in his personality, Gio was able to settle his mind with Honey's carefree attitude.

“Anyway, as long as it’s fun, that’s fine.”

If this ever-changing life wasn’t fun, that would be the strange part.

“Then let’s eat first.”

“Kkuruk?”

Honey raised an eyebrow, but Gio didn’t mind and stood up.

“It’s better to prepare some soup or side dishes in advance, even if we don’t eat them right away. We have bones from the disassembled deer, so if we organize them and make some bone broth, we can store it in the ice cellar and use it whenever needed.”

Bone broth can itself be a filling meal. Gio nodded.

“When I had an upset stomach, my grandmother used to tell me to drink bone soup with a little green onion and salt.”

Gio didn’t know about others, but when he had an upset stomach, bone soup was much easier on him than porridge. There were no chunks, so it didn’t fill his stomach, but it was rich and satisfying enough to feel like a meal.

“Add a little salt, some sliced green onion, and freshly cooked rice to the creamy broth, and that’s Gomtang. The rich bone broth has an immense umami flavor. That’s why even a simple meal like this is so hearty.”

“Kkururururu…?”

“It’s not spicy.”

Honey seemed to be considering whether the soup would be spicy, having been uncomfortable with the spicy sausages last time. But as long as no chili powder or spicy seasoning was added, Gomtang wouldn’t be spicy.

“If you’re feeling too bland, you can add meat or noodles instead of rice. It’s not bad to have both together. Adding seasoning or pepper to your taste is also one of the charms of Gomtang.”

There were «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» many ways to use bone broth.

“Even in spicy ramen, replacing water with broth makes it taste amazing.”

“Kkuruk! Kkuruk! Kkuruk!”

“Still, the broth itself makes the soup milder... okay, let’s skip that.”

Honey, who didn’t like spicy food, protested, but Gio respected Honey’s opinion. Just as there were people who could eat anything, there were delicate little birds who couldn’t handle spice.

“Then we can put more vegetables and make another soup. Dumpling soup, for example.”

Gio murmured.

“Rice cake soup is also good. A hearty stew with vegetables and ham isn’t bad either... Adding bone broth to miso soup or seaweed soup makes the flavor much deeper.”

“Kkung?”

“If it’s stew, maybe, but the rest shouldn’t be spicy unless we add chili peppers… By the way, did you know that adding bone broth instead of water when cooking rice makes it so much tastier?”

“Kkurur.”

“Right, let’s go make the broth.”

After eating the rice ball last time, Honey had become the bird that loved rice more than anything else. It was clear from the way Honey imagined how delicious it would be to make rice balls with the bone broth and fry them.

As Gio headed down to the ice cellar to retrieve the bone broth, he suddenly felt uneasy.

“Come to think of it, don’t they usually make bone broth from cow bones?”

“…Kkuk?”

“Well, last time, when I trimmed and organized it, there was quite a lot of marrow inside. The red boundary of the bone was clear, so the condition should be fine. Since deer bones are thick and strong, it should be fun to make the broth…”

“…….”

“Come to think of it, when did we ever only eat Earth foods?”

When making bone broth, they typically used the leg bones of large animals. If it were a cow, it would have been the cow’s legs, but Gio wasn’t sure if the deer bones would be that different, so he had decided to prepare them. He brought the bones from the ice cellar to the kitchen.

“I did rinse them last time, but it still feels a bit unsettling.”

After thoroughly washing the bone marrow, Gio dropped them into a large pot. When he lit a fire with bellflowers for kindling, the water started boiling quickly.

“We drained the blood when it was freshly butchered, so not much impurity should come out. It was drained for over a day, so it should be pretty clean, but there are still foreign substances inside. We need to remove them to make good broth.”

“…….”

“Like you’re probably expecting, it’s going to take forever.”

“Kkungkungkung….”

“Don’t expect to drink the broth today.”

After blanching the bones in boiling water and washing them clean, the real battle of time and effort began. That’s why ‘real’ bone broth wasn’t cheap.

“If we keep boiling it in this pot, it’s fine, but we shouldn’t boil it on high heat. Even if it takes longer, we need to boil it on low heat to bring out the umami more.”

“…….”

“The longer we boil it, the more oil and impurities will rise to the top. Since the marrow is coming out, the first batch of broth is usually too greasy and rich, making it uncomfortable to drink. So we can’t drink the first batch…”

“Kkung.”

“You’re going to drink it?”

“Kkuruk.”

“You’re a pig.”

Honey protested vigorously, but reality wouldn’t change. Even the first batch, which made the mouth greasy with the sound of crackling, was something Gio couldn’t give up. This attachment.

“You’re already a fine pig.”

“Kkurururururururuk!!!”

“Accept reality.”

Gio thought it would be nice if Honey became a bit plump.

“I want you to be plump enough...”

To be exact, he wanted Honey to be plump enough to lean on him.

“…….”

“…….”

With a determined expression, Gio nodded.

“Is this puberty?”

There was a strong conviction to keep the cute, adorable appearance for as long as possible.

‘I know I’m cute.’

Even if he was the child born from paint, if the child had the right convictions, he should be supported. Gio decided to step back. Fat animals are cute, but forcing them to gain weight would be animal abuse.

“Anyway, the bone broth won’t be ready right away. The impurities will take a while to rise, and since we’re right here, there’s nothing we can do.”

“Kkururuk?”

“Right, so we need to prepare another dish. Let’s give our bone broth friend some alone time.”

Gio looked at the pot, which was still not boiling, because he had just changed the water.

“I’m not sure, but I’ve heard that boiling bones too many times isn’t good for you… I’m not sure what to do about the deer antlers.”

The deer antlers' bone.

The bones from the legs of the deer had rich marrow, but bones boiled for more than three days would dissolve entirely into the broth, becoming a valuable medicinal tonic. It had a strong, nutty flavor or salty taste.

Boiling method: After cleaning them well, simmer them on low heat for three days, and the marrow and bones will melt into a potent tonic. The resulting medicine can be used immediately, and if consumed by humans, it can restore bone health. The degree of recovery depends on the amount consumed and the individual’s constitution.

“…….”

Gio nodded.

“No need to worry.”

What kind of real-world problem was he even thinking about?

“The marrow and bones will melt on their own, so we just need to filter out the impurities now and wait. Let’s stop worrying about those independent little guys and focus on preparing our lunch.”

“Kkururuk.”

“That’s fine then…”

After a brief moment of hesitation, Gio made up his mind.

“The day has come.”

“Kkuruk?”

“The time to fish has arrived.”

It was time to vent his meat-filled stomach with fish.

“That’s only respectful to my tongue and stomach.”

And Seojio, at the age of five, had learned the word "Engel's coefficient" (the ratio of food expenses to total household expenditure), becoming a true gourmet. He still remembered his grandmother’s warm voice, laughing and saying, “We have pig potatoes at our house.”

Thus, Gio started planning how to get fish. There were many ways.

“The creek is narrow but quite deep, and I’ve seen big and small fish swimming around. Especially since the nests of the waterfowls are connected to the creek and springs, I could get fish just by going to the nest.”

“…….”

Honey, who had tilted its head at Gio’s words, soon flew up and pecked at his cheek. It didn’t hurt at all, with its small and harmless beak.

“What’s up, Honey?”

“Kkururururu.”

“…Ah.”

Come to think of it, Gio had another source for fish.

“There was the ‘Breathing Sea’.”

The ‘Breathing Sea’, one of the dimensional portals Gio had created, was literally a world submerged in water. The last time he checked, it was filled with all kinds of creatures.

Gio accepted Honey's suggestion.

“Smart.”

“Kkuruk.”

Honey puffed up proudly. It was very cute.

“You know, with that cuteness, you can only conquer your father.”

“Kkungkungkung.”

“No matter how cute you act, you think you can make me work harder than I already do? Where else in the world would you find a butler as capable as me? Stick by your dad.”

It was another good day for this close family.

Gio went straight to the second floor, where the completed artwork was stored. There was a frame there that allowed him to travel to the ‘Breathing Sea.’

Standing before the blue-lit frame, Gio slowly melted into it.

“……”

And soon.

He was underwater.

“Long time no see, Father.”

Gio stood in the ‘Breathing Sea’.

“Has it really been that long?”

“I was just out sightseeing for a bit.”

The one speaking with Gio was none other than the Sun God from the ruined world. The lonely old man he had once asked for help.

He asked Gio what had brought him today.

“Ah.”

And Gio was always confident, wherever and whenever.

“I came to fish.”

Give me the fish.

“If it goes well, I’ll share.”

“I thought you’d like it.”

The Sun God was pleased.

It was clearly a place where only pigs gathered.