Chapter 779: Come up one by one.

Jjanggeurang.

At the ear-piercing sound, I turned around. Shattered debris, fallen on the floor, was visible.

Beyond it, fine shoes caught my eye.

Riding on them, I slowly looked up at the owner of the legs.

Not long after, our eyes met.

“…Mi Bu-in.”

The owner was Mi Bu-in.

Why was Mi Bu-in here? And why now, of all times?

Did she hear what I just said? Shit, she must have. That’s why she’s reacting like that.

That means… in a nutshell.

‘I’m fucked.’

It means things are seriously screwed.

‘What should I do?’

Cold sweat trickled down various parts of my body.

I had to sell out my father to survive, but if Mi Bu-in heard this, things would change considerably.

How would they change?

‘I’d rather not imagine.’

Whatever it is, I don’t want to think about it.

Ddol-ddol-i’s appearance was, at most, ten years old.

If I simply calculated this and assumed it was my father’s child…

‘No, before I could even calculate. The fact that it’s a child Mi Bu-in doesn’t know about means I’m already screwed.’

No matter what calculation or excuse I came up with, it was certain I was screwed.

“Um… Mi Bu-in. It’s not like that…”

The family destruction that would hit like a hurricane.

I felt like I was standing at the edge of a cliff.

What do I do? How do I fix this mess?

Kkulkkek.

Swallowing dryly, I gradually fell into a swamp of thought.

‘Shit.’

No matter how much I thought, there was no breakthrough.

It seemed too late to confess now. If I continued like this, I’d have to sell out my father, dragging him down into the abyss.

Should I survive?

Or should I turn my father into a shameless piece of trash?

It was an incredibly difficult dilemma.

Right, no matter what, I have filial duties… this is a bit much…

“Mi Bu-in… it’s just that. It’s not that I didn’t intend to tell you… it’s just that Father has his circumstances, so it’s really…”

Let’s sell out Father. It was the conclusion after not much deliberation.

He’s still healthy, so he should be able to handle this much.

I might get beaten to death if it’s discovered later, but I’ll deal with that then. Right now, my survival comes first.

“First, could you hear my side of the story…”

The moment I tried to quickly rack my brain for an excuse.

Ttubeok.

Mi Bu-in, with widened eyes, started to move her feet.

As she came closer, I involuntarily flinched and hunched my shoulders.

But.

Seuuk-!

Mi Bu-in didn’t come towards me; she passed me by and continued forward.

Her direction was towards Namgung Bi-ah, who was holding Ddol-ddol-i.

“…”

Mi Bu-in, walking like that, finally approached Namgung Bi-ah and…

“…Ah.”

She uttered a short word and reached out her hand. Seeing that, my body stiffened slightly.

…Oh, maybe she’s going to slap her?

That might be the case.

She suddenly encountered a strange child, not her own, with her husband.

From the perspective of the legal wife, it was a situation that could certainly cause immense anger.

Moreover, seeing as he looked like such a hot-tempered fellow, there was a possibility she might just resort to violence…

‘…Wait.’

If you think about it that way, isn’t my situation not much different from that guy’s…?

‘Son of a concubine. A hot-tempered brat.’

Right now, that guy and I don’t look that different.

It feels a bit like spitting on my own face, making me feel bitter.

Fortunately, I’ve never been hit by Mi Bu-in…

‘…Anyway.’

Shouldn’t I stop her from hitting?

Or, given the situation, should I just let it be? As these thoughts flashed through my mind.

Seuk.

Finally, Mi Bu-in’s fingertips touched Ddol-ddol-i.

But the location wasn’t the cheek.

“…Ung?”

Ddol-ddol-i lifted its head at the touch.

Mi Bu-in was stroking the child’s hair with a hesitant hand.

“…”

Since only her back was visible, I couldn’t tell what expression she had.

Mi Bu-in was simply busy stroking the child’s head.

From my side, dumbfounded by what was happening.

“You know…”

“Whoa! You scared me!”

Suddenly, a voice reached my ear.

My heightened senses were uncomfortable, so I had temporarily reduced them, making it difficult to perceive Mi Bu-in’s approach, let alone anyone else coming near.

Startled, I covered my ears and looked, and the person who approached was Baek Ryeon-geom.

“…W-what is it?”

“No, it’s just…”

Baek Ryeon-geom, approaching with a hesitant expression and tone, carefully asked.

“…Then whose child is it?”

“…Yes?”

What did you say…?

“Looking at him… he doesn’t seem like Miss Mi… and judging by his looks, I thought maybe he could be your mother’s child. But that’s not it, is it?”

“…”

So that’s what he was talking about.

“…That’s…”

“Then perhaps the Sword Empress?”

“Yes?”

At Baek Ryeon-geom’s words, I frowned.

The Sword Empress… could he mean the Plum Blossom Sword Empress I know?

“Senior. Why are you suddenly bringing up the Sword Empress…?”

“Hm? Ah. My nephew-in-law doesn’t know.”

“Nephew-in-law? What are you talking about… No. What are you even talking about in the first place?”

“If you don’t know, that’s fine. Anyway, it’s not the Sword Empress, right? Then… is it one of the girls from the Myung family? Yes, if it were her, she would have climbed onto the hearth… no. If she had tried, Miss Mi would have already gotten rid of her… Then who could it be? Could it be one of the girls from the Yu-hyeol Palace…? That’s strange. I heard she’s already betrothed.”

“…”

Names kept coming out endlessly. They were powerful names I might have heard somewhere. The problem was, why were those names popping up in this situation?

Could it be…

‘…He’s trying to figure out who the mother is?’

If that’s the case… does that mean those names are all women connected to Father?

If that’s true, it’s utterly ridiculous.

‘Father. You were more dissolute than I thought…?’

Not just one or two, how many is that?

A man should have integrity. It feels a bit disappointing.

Meanwhile, Baek Ryeon-geom’s expression, mentioning those things, was endlessly serious.

Seeing that kind of expression, I said with a sigh.

“I don’t know what you’re thinking, but I don’t know that well either.”

“If that’s the case, it means there’s an opportunity, right? Those damned things are climbing onto the roof one after another. So why can’t I?”

“Senior? What are you talking about right now…?”

“Ah, yes, my son. Do you have something to say? Speak comfortably.”

“…Why am I suddenly becoming your son, Senior?”

“It can happen in life. Don’t worry too much about it. You’ll lose hair.”

“What kind of life do you have to live for that to happen?”

As always, talking with Baek Ryeon-geom felt like losing my mind.

I was already overwhelmed with complications, and I didn’t have time to joke around with an old lady.

Sarak.

Mi Bu-in continued to stroke Ddol-ddol-i’s hair amidst all this.

Those around watched Mi Bu-in like that, unable to even breathe.

The child wasn’t my child, but our father’s hidden child.

As soon as that was mentioned, Mi Bu-in, Father’s wife, appeared.

It was a situation that made one’s legs tremble just hearing about it, so who would dare make a sound here?

Not to mention Tang Soyeol or Wi Seol-ah…

‘Where did Uncle Gwe-seon go?’

Now that I see, Gwe-seon is already gone. It means he quickly fled.

Even the composed Moyong Hi-ah had her face pale, covering her mouth.

Just as tension dominated the room, wondering what kind of hellscape would unfold.

“…Would you like to… hold him…?”

“…!”

“…Heop.”

“…!!”

These were the words Namgung Bi-ah, holding Ddol-ddol-i, said.

At those words, those around gasped.

Their expressions showed disbelief, wondering what crazy talk that was.

The problem was.

“…”

Mi Bu-in, having heard those words, stopped stroking.

Was she angry at the nonsense?

This was truly a situation where she’d be justified in being furious.

“…”

As if to prove it, Mi Bu-in offered no response.

She just quietly stared at Namgung Bi-ah and Ddol-ddol-i.

‘Hmm?’

For some reason, I felt like Mi Bu-in was hesitating.

…No way.

‘Is she really thinking of holding him?’

She seemed to be contemplating Namgung Bi-ah’s request.

‘Nah. That can’t be.’

It must be a mistake. Mi Bu-in wouldn’t do that.

As if to prove it, after a long silence, Mi Bu-in gave the answer I expected.

“No. It’s alright.”

As expected, a refusal. There was no way she’d accept that.

What woman would want to hold her husband’s hidden child?

The only fortunate thing was that Mi Bu-in didn’t explode in anger.

‘To think a person could be this rational.’

It was astonishing.

If it were me, I would have probably trashed the place and then some.

Although surprised, she appeared remarkably calm.

As I watched Mi Bu-in with curiosity.

“Young Master Il.”

“…!”

At her voice, my body jolted.

“Yes, yes…”

As I barely managed to answer, Mi Bu-in turned her head and looked at me.

Her face was as composed as usual.

It was hard to grasp what she was thinking, so to speak?

My back was already drenched in cold sweat.

I was doing my best not to show it.

Thanks to that, just as I was managing to calm my breathing.

Mi Bu-in spoke to me.

“I think we have something to talk about.”

“…”

“Come with me for a moment.”

“…Yes, yes.”

With that, Mi Bu-in moved her feet.

Watching her, I moved my legs too.

It was the most nerve-wracking feeling I’d had all year.

---

It took some time to get from Shin-ui’s residence to where Mi Bu-in was staying.

Especially since Mi Bu-in was an ordinary person, her speed wasn’t fast.

I had to walk at her pace, covering in half a day what could have been reached in an instant if I ran.

Do you know what was truly difficult?

‘We didn’t exchange a single word while walking like that.’

Mi Bu-in walked ahead silently, and I, following her, couldn’t even swallow due to the uncomfortable silence.

And so, we arrived at none other than Mi Bu-in’s residence.

It was the first time I had ever been here.

Usually, to see Mi Bu-in, I’d go to the Merchant Guild Leader’s room, or she would find me.

I had no memory of ever coming to where Mi Bu-in stayed.

‘Is it this big?’

I was quite surprised upon seeing it.

Because the size of the residence was exceedingly large.

I thought my own residence was quite large, but this was even more so.

Even if not double, it was definitely a huge difference in size.

The well-maintained park and the paths along it were beautifully decorated.

The residence I followed her into also showed clear signs of neatness.

“Sit down.”

“…Yes, ma’am.”

Following her words, I immediately sat down in front of her.

A teacup was already placed on the table.

It didn’t seem like Mi Bu-in prepared it; perhaps a servant who received the report had already set it up.

My throat felt parched, so I wanted to drink the tea first, but…

“Did you say that child was the Family Head’s son?”

“…Cough.”

At the words heard, I couldn’t even drink that.

Pausing, I put down the teacup and observed Mi Bu-in.

She was looking at me with clear eyes, her hands clasped together.

Was it a look asking for an explanation?

What am I going to do about this?

‘What do you mean, ‘what’? First, I need to make an excuse.’

It was already too late to turn back.

I had to just blurt something out.

“That… is to say. It is…”

Since the journey wasn’t short, I had already thought of what to say.

Just as I was about to use this to explain to Mi Bu-in.

“I know it’s not.”

“…!”

At the words that cut through, my mouth shut tightly again.

You know it’s not?

Those words mean she knows my statement is false.

As I stood there blankly at the unexpected words, Mi Bu-in added.

“What do you mean…?”

“If you say it is, is it true?”

“…”

Her gaze was firm.

Should I just say yes and offer the excuse I thought of?

The thought crossed my mind that it might be better, but…

“…No, it is not.”

I ended up confessing.

Mi Bu-in’s tone was already certain, and strangely, looking into her eyes, I couldn’t bring myself to lie.

“I apologize.”

“…”

As I apologized, Mi Bu-in took a sip of tea rather than responding.

I didn’t hear the sound of her drinking.

Tuk.

Only the short sound of the teacup touching the saucer was heard.

“…Mi Bu-in.”

“Speak.”

“It’s a bit awkward to ask now… but how did you know?”

How could she possibly know? I couldn’t stand the curiosity.

Would I ask something like this at a time like this? For a moment, Mi Bu-in wore an expression of disbelief.

Because of that, I thought I wouldn’t get an answer, but…

“At first, I thought it might be possible.”

Contrary to her expression, Mi Bu-in began to explain.

“Because he resembles him quite a bit, making it hard to deny.”

“…”

“To be precise… he resembles you more than the Family Head, but there’s no way he’s your child. Perhaps, perhaps he really could be the Family Head’s child. I did think that for a moment.”

“…But why did you think he wasn’t?”

“That’s an easy question to answer.”

Was it my imagination? Mi Bu-in seemed to smile slightly.

Then, her answer came.

“Because your father wouldn’t do that.”

“…!”

It was an unexpected answer.

So much so that I couldn’t react at all.

“Your father is a man of many secrets. He speaks little and prefers to keep things to himself whenever possible.”

“…”

Just looking at him, that seemed true.

Because I felt like my father spoke less than a hundred words a year.

“But, you see, even if he hides other things, he wouldn’t have hidden this.”

“…That…”

“Also, even if he had hidden it, there’s no way I wouldn’t have known. Because I am the Baekhwa Merchant Guild Leader.”

“…”

Kkulkkek.

Honestly, I couldn’t relate to the previous statements at all. But the last sentence was the easiest to understand.

‘I am the Baekhwa Merchant Guild Leader.’

The pride and confidence emanating from that statement were incredibly clear.

“So I wanted to ask. What is that child?”

“…If I say he’s my child, will you believe me?”

“I will.”

“Yes?”

She’ll believe me that easily? That was actually a more surprising answer for me.

“Believing isn’t that difficult. Rather, if you can handle it, then do so.”

“…”

I know Mi Bu-in doesn’t actually believe me.

She knows he’s not Father’s child, yet she’s saying she’ll just believe me if I tell her to.

And yet, she’s asking if I can handle it.

‘Can I fully bear the responsibility for this belief?’

It was a much scarier and heavier statement than simply not believing.

So, what should I do about this?

As a myriad of thoughts flashed through my mind.

“Or, I don’t necessarily have to ask.”

My eyes widened slightly at Mi Bu-in’s follow-up words.

“What do you mean by that…?”

You don’t have to ask?

“It means exactly what it sounds like. I won’t ask who that child is. It also means I might not punish you for lying about your father.”

“Why is that?”

“Well. If I had to find a reason…”

Dalkak. Dalkak. A strange sound came from the teacup Mi Bu-in was handling.

“Because you need it. That’s about the only reason.”

“…”

“If you need it, then do so. If you need an excuse, I can provide one.”

“…Why are you going this far…”

“However.”

As I tried to utter words of incomprehension, Mi Bu-in raised her index finger with a firm voice.

“There is one condition.”

“A condition?”

“Yes, one condition.”

She’ll pretend not to know without asking why.

She’ll overlook me selling out Father out of necessity, but there’s a condition for that.

Hearing this, I bit my lip inwardly.

‘As expected.’

It seemed it wasn’t free, of course.

After all, nothing is free in matters like these.

She’s offering to overlook me framing Father, suppressing my curiosity, so there must be a huge condition attached.

I couldn’t even guess what she might want.

“…What is the condition?”

Still, I couldn’t refuse.

I had to hear it first.

I waited for Mi Bu-in’s words, my tension fully heightened.

A few seconds passed like that.

“I will take that child.”

“…What?”

“That is my condition.”

“…?”

I think I heard it correctly with my ears…

But my brain couldn’t comprehend it.