Chapter 1183: Scorched World.

‘A weakness in Father.’

Does that man of steel even have a weakness? I’ve never heard of such a thing in my entire life?

‘Is he joking?’

Gu Seon was likely spouting nonsense. From my perspective, this person didn’t seem like a normal human at all.

Furthermore.

“……What would I even use that for?”

Even if I were to hear it from Gu Seon, who might know Father’s weakness. It was questionable why Gu Seon would set this as a condition.

When I asked for clarification because I didn’t understand, she calmly replied.

“It’s because just as Older Brother-nim cares about you, our little sibling seems to care about Older Brother-nim too. Aren’t you?”

“……No.”

“Wow, you’re lying? Our little sibling doesn’t seem to be good at lying. How can it show so clearly on your face?”

“…….”

“I don’t know why you two care about each other. Ah, perhaps you want to become the family head?”

“What kind of bullshit is that. I wouldn’t take that even if you gave it to me.”

“It’s good that you’re so firm……? I was actually going to stop you if you said you would. I have no intention of watching something so annoying. But then, wouldn’t you have no reason to care about each other? Why do you care?”

“I have no justification to explain.”

“That’s true. Right, it doesn’t really matter if I don’t hear it. The important thing is that little sibling cares about Older Brother-nim. That’s what it means, right?”

“…….”

Damn. I was swayed by her words and made a mistake in my attitude. Gu Seon seemed to have figured out the answer from my reaction.

“So, what about it? That thing about Older Brother-nim’s weakness. Aren’t you curious? If you’re not curious, just say so. I won’t ask any further either.”

“…….”

She realized what I needed. So she left the choice to me.

‘Clever, this one.’

No wonder she’s part of the Gu family. I was quite the cunning one myself.

‘Father’s weakness.’

I pondered deeply.

Was it worth pondering this? That was the crucial starting point. Fortunately, this part didn’t take long.

It was probably because I already knew the answer myself.

“……What do I need to do?”

Let’s at least hear what needs to be done.

At my words, Gu Seon smiled brightly.

“It’s nothing much.”

Just like that, Gu Seon grabbed my wrist and moved.

* * *

Following Gu Seon out, we arrived at the market in Shanxi. It was a place I frequented since childhood, perhaps the only place I could come.

A place still bustling with people, maintaining its unique scent and atmosphere.

Even though it was the appearance of this place from over a decade ago, the first place I arrived at after regression. It wasn’t much different from what I remembered.

Gu Seon and I were walking in such a place.

“Why did you bring me here?”

I had to be dragged by her to the market.

“Just follow me for now.”

Gu Seon just kept walking without explaining what needed to be done.

‘What is this really?’

What could be the reason for coming all the way to the market? If it was something pointless, I should just discard it and move on, as time was precious.

‘It’s a situation where I don’t even know how Great-grandfather will react.’

Time was already tight, and with Great-grandfather’s issue overlapping, I didn’t have much leeway. It was also uncertain how long it would take if I really moved in Xinjiang.

‘There’s still so much I haven’t investigated.’

Like Do-yun’s situation. Things on the front lines. The Peng family’s affairs and the Blood Demon Tree I saw there. It’s a situation where I need to consider all of that one by one.

‘To be dawdling around here.’

The mere fact that I was strolling through the market with Gu Seon was bothersome.

‘…Could this also be part of the process towards the correct ending?’

My ancestor said that whatever I did would be beneficial to me, as long as I used my time wisely and quickly.

‘Could being dragged out by Gu Seon be like that too?’

I wondered if this was the case too.

As we were walking for quite a while like that.

“Oh my, who is this!”

Suddenly, someone from the street greeted me familiarly.

“Isn’t it our Princess Gu!”

“Oh, Uncle. Have you been well?”

“We’ve been doing fine. Princess, you’re out after a long time? Who is that…?”

“This person? My little sibling.”

“Little sibling…?”

The merchant selling skewers looked at me.

“Well… you do resemble each other.”

Somehow, the assessment felt unpleasant.

“…Did the Gu Family Head have another son?”

“Ah, he appeared recently.”

“…Appeared recently?”

“Are you crazy?”

I had to be shocked by the casual bombshell she dropped.

“Can’t you be quiet?”

“Why? It’s not a lie, so what’s there to hide.”

“It’s a truth worth hiding, that’s why we hide it. You crazy person.”

“Sigh. This one is a bit fussy. Uncle, could you give me some skewers?”

“Uh… uh-huh. Of course! If our Princess wants them, I must give them.”

Saying that, the merchant offered a skewer. Gu Seon accepted it gratefully.

“Young Master here too. Here.”

“…….”

He offered me a skewer too. I carefully accepted it.

“He certainly resembles the Family Head… Hmm.”

“Right? He resembles Older Brother-nim even more! I find it strange too. Looking at his face gives me a strangely unpleasant feeling.”

“What do you mean by that last remark?”

“What do you mean. It means I feel unpleasant because he resembles Father.”

“…….”

“Stop talking and just eat quickly. Uncle makes great skewers.”

Gu Seon had already eaten half of the skewer. How did she eat that much already?

So I took a bite. It certainly tasted good.

“Uncle, here’s the money. Come on, let’s go.”

Gu Seon paid and dragged me along again.

That’s how it began.

Gu Seon’s culinary journey. It started with skewers, and then we visited every single street vendor. There was hardly any food around that we hadn’t tried.

As we kept eating and eating until our stomachs were about to burst.

“…Just how long are we going to keep eating?”

I asked with a tired expression. Because I really didn’t expect her to eat so relentlessly.

“Hmm?”

Gu Seon reacted as if asking why I’d ask such a thing. Even then, she already had something in her mouth.

“Why? Are you full?”

“Being full isn’t the problem.”

Due to the influence of Tam and Madocheon Heupgong, I tend to eat more than others. So I wasn’t exactly feeling full. It was strange that we’d been stuffing our faces non-stop for almost half a shichen.

“What exactly do you want to do?”

Did we come out just to eat? What kind of person eats this much.

Moreover.

‘How does she know so many people?’

As soon as we arrived at the market, people from all directions greeted Gu Seon familiarly. Not just peddlers, but neighborhood kids and even their parents. Everyone was busy greeting Gu Seon.

‘Princess Gu, Princess Gu.’

That was the phrase I heard most often while wandering around today.

‘She really knows a lot of people.’

I thought she had a bad temper and would dislike people. But it seemed she wasn’t quite like that.

“Princess!”

There it was again.

“Hey. Don’t run and fall.”

Gu Seon said nonchalantly, watching a child running towards us.

“Dundeok-i. What’s that on your cheek?”

She even knew his name.

“I got hurt fighting Mang-gu with swords last time!”

“This punk? He says he lost proudly.”

“No! I won!”

“Won, my foot. Didn’t this older sister tell you that whoever bleeds first loses.”

“…I, I won…”

“Be quiet. Eat this.”

Gu Seon handed the yakgwa she was holding to the child.

“Eat this and win next time. Okay?”

“Yes!”

“Take one for Mang-gu too.”

“Why give it to Mang-gu?”

“If you only give it to one person, Mang-gu will get sulky, idiot.”

“Okay!”

The child named Dundeok-i ran off excitedly.

“Look, look. He’s going to fall like that. Tsk, tsk.”

Saying that, she popped another yakgwa into her mouth.

“…….”

As I watched Gu Seon intently.

“What are you looking at?”

Gu Seon felt my gaze and asked me back.

“You’re quite the busybody. It seems you know everyone in the market?”

“Something like that.”

Gu Seon didn’t deny it.

“The people are kind. It feels comfortable and nice to be here. That’s why I come out often.”

“And you come out to eat like this?”

“Right. Thanks to that, I don’t have much pocket money.”

Kekeke.

Gu Seon let out a trivial laugh. Listening to that, I changed my expression.

“What do you want from me? You didn’t bring me here just to show me this, did you?”

I’d indulged her for half a shichen, that should be enough. I tried to prompt her to get to the point, but.

“No, I did?”

Gu Seon said, tilting her head.

“What?”

“I did bring you here to show you this.”

“What do you mean.”

“Isn’t it nice? This town. I like it.”

“…What does liking the town have to do with anything?”

What connection could Gu Seon’s fondness for the town have with what she wanted to do with me? I couldn’t understand.

Gu Seon turned her gaze away and said in response to my question.

“I thought it might be easier to grow attached this way.”

“……What the…”

“You said you have nowhere else to go anyway. So just live with me as your sibling.”

“…….”

What was she talking about?

My eyes widened.

“It worked out perfectly. Since you don’t have a family right now. I’m offering to be your family?”

“What kind of nonsensical thing are you saying right now? You said you weren’t asked by Madam Jin. Was that a lie?”

“I didn’t lie. This is my own wish.”

“I don’t understand. What good would it do for me to become your family? Do you want to have a family with an illegitimate child?”

“Little sibling, you’re the one saying strange things.”

This time, Gu Seon said it as if she couldn’t understand.

“Does being illegitimate mean you’re not family?”

“……Huh?”

“Just because blood connects us doesn’t make us family, and even without blood ties, we can be family. If you just think of us as family, then we are family. Why are you thinking about it so complicatedly.”

“You’re the one thinking about it too easily.”

“What’s so good about me becoming your family that you’re saying this?”

I couldn’t grasp Gu Seon’s intention. Why was she undertaking such a pointless act? When I asked that.

“There’s nothing complicated about this either.”

Gu Seon said, as if it were obvious.

“It’s no different from Mother.”

“……Huh?”

“Having a family is good. Rather than a boring Older Brother-nim. I also hoped for a somewhat ill-mannered younger sibling. That’s just how it is.”

Acting as if it were nothing.

Watching Gu Seon say that so casually, I realized belatedly.

‘Ah.’

I confirmed something I had misunderstood about Gu Seon. I had thought she resembled Gu Seong-yeol.

‘No, it wasn’t?’

My prejudice was shattered.

Gu Seon.

‘Resembles Jin Yeon-ryeong.’

She was truly a daughter of her mother. Excessively meddlesome and affectionate. Just that her way of expressing it was rough. That’s just the kind of person she was.

‘I’m going crazy.’

Right.

‘She’s just like my older sister.’

Whether it was her face or her personality. Of all people, she resembled Gu Yeonseo exactly. The people I disliked the most. She gave off the vibe of those who had died for me.

“Tsk.”

I turned around.

“…It’s nothing.”

“Where are you going! Hey! You have to hear the weakness before you go.”

“I don’t need that either. I’m leaving first.”

I felt like I shouldn’t stay any longer. Coming to the Gu family felt like a mistake. I just wanted to ignore it and go back.

“How frivolous.”

I could feel Gu Seon scratching the back of her head.

‘If it’s like this, I can’t help it.’

I steadied my resolve.

‘I can’t stay here any longer.’

Staying here any longer would only cause trouble. I need to hurry back, finish the pending tasks, and wrap up the Gu family’s affairs too.

As I was bracing myself like that and heading back.

* * *

“……What?”

During dinner time. I heard something strange from Hyeon So-yeon.

“They say Princess Gu has gone missing.”

“……?”

It was an unexpected event.