Chapter 1112: Scorched World.

My father suddenly appeared after opening the door to my room.

His breathing was slightly ragged, as if he’d run, and his eyes, brimming with power, were visible.

Especially.

‘What is it.’

He stared intently, as if his gaze was fixed on my spoon, and it was incredibly unnerving. What’s with those eyes? He always had an intense gaze, that man. But now, it felt particularly stronger.

“……Who is it?”

Namgung Hyung asked, looking at the figure who had appeared. But the answer came from elsewhere.

“Cheol-un!”

Mother smiled brightly, uttering Father’s name. And then she immediately jumped up and ran towards Father.

“Cheol-un! You’re here!?”

“……”

At that sight, Father’s gaze changed. Oh, that.

‘He looks angry?’

He really seemed angry. I had a bad feeling.

“You know, I-.”

The moment Mother approached Father to say something.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

A chilling voice filled the room.

“Cough.”

Namgung Hyung, who had been quietly eating, let out a cough as if startled by the voice.

“Oh dear……”

Then Hyun Soyeon reacted similarly. She seemed to sense something was wrong.

“Uh……uh?”

Perhaps Father’s reaction was unexpected, Mother also looked flustered.

But.

“You.”

Father didn’t stop.

“I distinctly warned you to stay holed up in your room and not come out. Didn’t I?”

“Ah, no, that’s not it……”

“There’s a limit to being stubborn. What do you think you’re doing?”

“……Well……”

“Come out with me.”

“J-just a moment, there’s still some left…!”

Mother glanced at Hyun Soyeon’s food with lingering eyes, but as she was about to be dragged out by Father’s hand.

“Aish…!”

Tak-!

“……!”

Mother shook off Father’s hand.

At that, Father’s eyes widened like saucers.

“Wait a second…!”

Mother, having broken free, suddenly ran back. Towards me.

“These and that. Eat them all, okay?”

“……Huh?”

And then she suddenly started arranging the food in front of me.

“Eat them all? Got it?”

“No. What the…”

“I’m leaving!”

“……Huh?”

After piling them up in front of me, she turned back towards Father.

“Cheol-un! Let’s go now!”

“……”

Seeing her say that cheerfully, as if everything was resolved, Father looked at me this time.

Perhaps because it was near the entrance, the position was slightly shadowed. Thanks to that, the red glow in his eyes was more distinct.

‘……Ooh, scary.’

His gaze was fierce. It was the kind of gaze that made you swallow involuntarily.

Not long after that.

“You.”

Father said to me.

“Find me as soon as day breaks tomorrow.”

“……Yes, sir.”

After spitting out the warning, he turned his back and dragged Mother out.

In the silence that quickly followed. I thought.

‘I’m screwed.’

It seemed I had really messed up. Just as I felt things had gotten troublesome and a bit difficult.

“Hooah…… Now I can finally breathe.”

Namgung Hyung exhaled, breathing deeply. His face was pale; he really seemed terrified.

“Who on earth was that? How can someone’s eyes be so heavy?”

“Oh my, Young Master, you don’t know? That person is the most famous figure these days.”

“Famous? Who?”

“It’s the Divine Dragon.”

“……Huh?”

At Hyun Soyeon’s words, Namgung Hyung frowned. Then he immediately looked towards me and…

“Then who are you?”

“……”

It was a question that reminded me of the conversation we had earlier that day.

“That man just now was the Divine Dragon? No way…… Huh? Come to think of it, the Young Lady next to you said you were Cheol-un…… Then, is it really the Divine Dragon Gu Cheol-un?”

He seemed to be gradually realizing it.

“No, so you weren’t really the Divine Dragon?”

“I clearly said I wasn’t……?”

“No way…… Then what are you?”

“……”

“Hmm, what? Are you two acquainted? How?”

With Hyun Soyeon chiming in, I rubbed my forehead.

‘Ah.’

I felt like I was getting a headache.

No, I think I already had one.

---

Somehow, after finishing the meal and cleaning everything up, I came outside.

Unlike when Father came in, nothing else happened afterward.

As soon as Mother disappeared, my senses returned, allowing me to feel everything, so there was no danger.

‘So it really was because of Mother.’

The reason my senses were disturbed. It definitely seemed to be Mother’s fault.

The problem was.

‘It seems others couldn’t feel the difference.’

It seemed I was the only one whose senses dimmed next to Mother. Seeing as neither Hyun Soyeon nor Namgung Hyung seemed to notice much, it was even more likely.

‘Something must be going on.’

It seemed something was connected even in this world.

Just as I was walking, recalling that.

“What are you thinking about?”

Hyun Soyeon, who was walking with me, spoke up.

“It’s nothing.”

For reference, Namgung Hyung disappeared as soon as he finished eating. Although he seemed shocked that I wasn’t the real Divine Dragon. He seemed to recover quickly, saying he was full and leaving abruptly.

Every time I see him, I feel it.

‘He was strange even back then.’

The eccentric Namgung Hyung really seemed like a strange person even from a young age.

And.

“It doesn’t seem like nothing. Tell me. It’s boring just walking, you know?”

There was another strange person here.

A woman who looked exactly like Namgung Bi-ah, but had a completely different personality.

“I’m not bored at all.”

“Nonsense. You’re lying. It’s written all over your face that you’re bored?”

I genuinely wasn’t bored.

“No way. Aren’t you the one who’s bored, not me, Young Lady?”

“Oh. That’s right, how did you know?”

“……”

“I’m bored. So please tell me something.”

It was truly an audacious attitude. How can she be so shameless?

“What do you want me to say?”

“That thing from earlier. You’re upset about that, aren’t you?”

“Huh?”

That thing earlier? What is she talking about?

“You and that Young Lady and the Divine Dragon. You’re bothered by it, right? Am I wrong?”

“……What are you talking about?”

“No? Young Master Baek. You liked that Young Lady earlier, didn’t you?”

“……”

“But then the Divine Dragon appeared and easily took her away, so you got hurt. A love triangle. A passionate love triangle. Isn’t that right?”

I was speechless for a moment. I couldn’t even think of what to say.

‘Wow.’

Could there be any greater bullshit than this?

Who cares about whom…? A love triangle? Passionate what?

It was a series of expressions that made me sick.

“No. Nothing like that.”

“No way. You couldn’t take your eyes off that Young Lady from the moment you first saw her. She certainly was beautiful. I’m also quite pretty, you know. It’s the first time I’ve seen someone who doesn’t lose out to me?”

“……You have considerable self-esteem?”

“If you look like this, your self-esteem has no choice but to be high.”

How long have we been talking? If I calculate it, it doesn’t seem long, but I feel like my energy is being drained.

Hyun Soyeon was quite proud of her face. If she looked like that, maybe it was acceptable…

‘She’s so different from my daughter.’

She couldn’t have been more different from the daughter Hyun Soyeon would later bear.

“So. That’s right, isn’t it?”

“……I told you, no.”

“Really?”

“Yes. It’s really not.”

“Then you don’t like her?”

“I don’t like……”

I paused mid-sentence. It was because she asked if I didn’t like Mother, which made me unable to speak for a moment.

“Heehee.”

Hyun Soyeon seemed to misunderstand that again, her reaction turning somewhat smug.

It felt like the misunderstanding was deepening endlessly.

“I told you it’s not!”

“Aww. Okay. Let’s just go with that then.”

“Damn it……”

“Still, don’t lose hope. From what I saw earlier, that Young Lady didn’t seem entirely uninterested in Young Master Baek either?”

“……What?”

“Isn’t that right? She didn’t eat her own food. She seemed preoccupied with Young Master Baek all day.”

“……”

That was a bit strange, admittedly. She brought me here saying she was hungry. But she herself didn’t eat, only fussing over my food.

“You know, that usually only happens out of love. So maybe there’s still some hope?”

“That’s enough.”

I didn’t need to hear any more. Love, my ass.

“I’m not interested.”

“Doesn’t seem like it.”

“I’m telling you. No…….”

I added, letting out a sigh. I figured more misunderstandings would just be annoying.

“I also have a fiancée. I told you I’m not interested.”

“Hmm?”

I said, looking at Hyun Soyeon. Seeing her face, which looked just like hers, made it slightly better. If I say this much, she won’t get involved, I thought. That’s what I thought as I said it, but…

“Ah, really? So what?”

Surprisingly, Hyun Soyeon reacted as if asking what the problem was.

“……I told you I have a fiancée?”

“So why is that a problem?”

“What do you mean, why?”

“Just because you’re engaged doesn’t mean you love them. It’s just something that needs to be done.”

“…….”

“What the…? Then what about you, Young Lady Hyun? Weren’t you fond of Young Master Namgung?”

I saw you chasing after him and trying to take care of him. She was saying things completely contrary to her actions, so I asked in disbelief.

Then.

“Yes, I don’t like him.”

“……What?”

Her calm reply made me pause. What did she say? Despite my reaction, Hyun Soyeon spoke with utter composure.

“I told you. I’m doing it because it’s something that needs to be done. This is different from love.”

She said it and let out a faint smile. I felt it from that smile.

‘What the…?’

It was an extremely dry, withered smile.

“I’m just saying. So…”

Tuk tuk. Hyun Soyeon patted my shoulder.

“As someone who’s experienced it, I’m telling you, grab them while you can. That’s… the right thing to do. From my experience. I’ll be going now? Today was fun.”

And then she walked away first.

Just as Hyun Soyeon put distance between us and disappeared far off.

“Huh?”

My dazed mind returned. Thanks to that, I was too surprised to even ask.

‘What the hell?’

Hyun Soyeon said she didn’t love Namgung Jin. I was so surprised by that part that I couldn’t even properly deny it.

‘……Huh?’

Then, why was she desperately chasing Namgung Jin? She does that even without liking him?

‘Wow.’

I let out a hollow laugh. It seemed.

‘She seems unusual too.’

It seemed Hyun Soyeon also had her own circumstances.

Of course.

‘……Then I should avoid getting involved even more.’

She looked like she’d cause trouble just by looking at her. Now that I knew, I had no intention of getting involved further.

……No matter what it took.