episode_0184

Jin Ye-seo’s mother, the current head of the Baek Gwang family of five.

All the stories I’ve heard about her in the past flash through my mind.

An anecdote about how, during his time as a student at Yoram, he personally killed his parents who had committed treason, thus saving Baekgwang from destruction.

A cold-hearted personality that values the honor of the family above all else, without any mercy or tears.

Even the hotly talked about freshman Jin Ye-seo is actually just her long-term pawn.

If you think about it, the current situation where Jin Ye-seo asked me to act as her fake lover also originated from her.

But if the Jin Ye-seo who came later is the real Jin Ye-seo… then this woman in my arms right now…?

“Phew.”

The brief silence was broken by someone’s burst of laughter.

Someone who had just been holding me in his arms lets go and walks away. Then he takes a few steps back and stares at me quietly. With a captivating smile on his lips.

Finally, she put her hands behind her head and began to take off the monkey half mask she had been wearing.

“… This is fun.”

Suddenly, an unfamiliar voice flowed out from the lips that had been whispering in Jinyeseo’s voice until just now. It was clear and beautiful, but it also felt more dignified and authoritative.

The sound of the mask hitting the floor is heard right after.

What appeared with him was the shadow of a woman who looked exactly like Jin Ye-seo.

***

The green eyes that receive moonlight emit a soft light. They feel sharp, just like those of a wild beast hunting its prey.

“Are you okay?”

“Uh.”

Jin Ye-seo, who arrived later, took advantage of the gap and clung to me as if protecting me. For some reason, she was on high alert when she saw her mother.

A strange blonde woman who saw us like this smiled silently.

“Wow… ”

Now that I look at her, I can feel that she looks exactly like Jin Ye-seo, but there are some differences in her appearance. Her eyes are sharper and more upturned, her twisted lips clearly reveal her bad personality, and her physical features stand out as mature.

Still, it’s amazing how outwardly they look no different from us. Just like when I was the principal, I really can’t get used to it…

“Are you the lord of Baekkwang?”

“How dull. How did you realize that only now?”

The pleasure engraved on her lips adds even more depth.

“Then how can I go and call you my daughter’s lover? Huh?”

“… ”

Jin Ye-seo, who had blocked the path, also responded to those words by sending me a resentful gaze.

I feel quite wronged. How could I possibly recognize someone who looks exactly like that and even wears a mask? Even the voice was exactly the same…

“They say it’s Jin Ga-ryeong. Even though she’s weak, she’s the head of Baekgwang’s family.”

The blonde woman nodded and said.

“Why on earth would you do something like this?”

“What other reason is there not to do it? It is a marriage issue between five families.”

The blonde woman asks back, seemingly puzzled.

“The successor has a lover, so wouldn’t it be right for a mother to check it out for herself?”

“I think it was a very crude and crude way to confirm it.”

“Hey, hey… !”

Jin Ye-seo looked at me in turn and hurriedly tried to stop me, but I was still a little annoyed. No matter how much I love my daughter, isn’t this crossing the line?

And if you listen to what Jin Ye-seo has to say, it doesn’t seem like she’s all that pretty.

What on earth were you thinking when you did something like this?

“If you really kissed me… ”

“That would never have happened. I would have snapped his neck before he could reach him.”

… What’s wrong with putting your mouth on it first?

“Why are you like that? Did you really think you could take over the heads of five families so easily? How impudent of you.”

“… ”

“Well, if you really want it, I can certainly give it to you… ”

I’ve come to realize that when people hear something so absurd, they can become speechless.

Like Yeongjeongmun and Baekilyongdo, all the authors of Gaju seem to have a screw missing. No wonder the affection shown by Heukryeon and his wife feels abnormal.

” It’s done. Didn’t you stop it anyway? ”

The blonde woman waved her hand as if to signal that the prank was over.

Then he looked straight at me and opened his mouth.

“You dare not yield to the temptations of this body. I praise your firm self-restraint, child of the Black Lotus.”

…what?

My body froze for a moment at those words that so naturally mentioned my identity. It seemed that Jin Ye-seo felt the same way.

Those words meant only one thing.

The play up until now… has been useless and has returned to nothing.

“… Did you know?”

“I never forget what I’ve seen once. Others may not know, but my eyes can’t be fooled.”

“Have you seen it? Where on earth… Ah.”

If you ever get a chance to meet this woman, it will only be once.

“It’s been a few weeks since the red hearing. I feel like I’ve grown a bit. Is it because I’m growing up so quickly? Hehe… ”

If you are the head of the Baek Gwang family of the Five Clans, then there is no sense of incongruity in occupying a seat in the Supreme Council.

Was that one of those funny housewife mask-wearing guys I saw back then?

“Hmm. But this is really… a funny couple.”

Soon, the blonde woman turns her gaze to Jin Ye-seo, who is standing there wrapping her arms around me.

“My dear daughter. Don’t you think you’re quite sincere for a play?”

Jin Ye-seo denied it even more strongly at the absurd voice.

“I’m serious.”

“You’re telling such an obvious lie. What on earth do you think this mother is? If you think I’ll fall for such a farce… ”

“You don’t have to believe it. But what can I do if it’s true?”

Jin Ye-seo seemed slightly intimidated, but continued to ask questions firmly.

Finally, without giving me a chance to stop him, he buried himself in my arms. Then he turned his head and declared to his mother in a rebellious voice.

‘hey…!’

“I belong to this person. I’ve already given it all. Body and soul.”

Jinyeseo acted as if she couldn’t hear my whispers.

“Do you understand? I’m already a discarded body. I’m no longer useful in Mother’s plans! So please leave me alone now!”

‘for a moment…’

“… ”

Jin Ye-seo kept talking like a dam bursting open. My attempts to calm her down were blocked by her earnest gaze looking straight up at me.

A silent appeal, as if asking for your participation in the play.

I turned my head and looked at her mother. She looked clearly interested, but not yet convinced.

“… ”

Yes, since my identity has already been revealed, let’s go out shamelessly. If I can just get over this crisis, Jinyeseo can gain the freedom she so desperately wanted. For the sake of her friend’s freedom, she can easily endure a little bit of awkwardness.

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Hehehe… ”

I said, hugging Jinyeseo as if wrapping her arms around her. Perhaps because it was so sudden, a small, shrill groan burst out from below.

“We are already deeply in love.”

In the empty space near Jin Ye-seo, who had her head bowed, black flames flickered like tiny firecrackers. The blonde woman was silently watching us.

“I hope you acknowledge our relationship.”

“Howoo… ”

My face is really burning. Jin Ye-seo seemed to share the same feeling. Looking at her face, which was flushed red like a sun-dried apple.

Well, I guess that’s fine if you think that way you can cover up your awkward acting skills.

“… ”

But contrary to expectations, the blonde woman still remained silent. She just had a mysterious expression on her face, making it hard to tell what she was thinking.

It was actually we who were getting impatient. We had already done everything we could. What else could we do to persuade that woman?

‘Hey, what are you doing? Think about it.’

‘Hee, heeheet… ‘

I whispered urgently to Jinyeseo, but all I got in return was a noise that sounded like a rabbit screaming. I was wrong. Is her head not working well either?

“Phew… ”

I was wondering if I should at least pretend to bring my lips to his.

The laughter of someone I had been waiting for pierces the brief silence and rings in my ears.

“That’s enough. I understand it.”

“Yes… ?”

I turned my head and looked ahead. A blonde woman with the corners of her lips raised up was nodding at us.

“What did you just say…?”

“You’re bothering me. Didn’t I just say that? I understand.”

When you say you understand, that means you accept our relationship, right? But why are you suddenly changing your attitude like this?

I was even more bewildered by the unexpectedly simple answer.

“What can I do? We both like each other.”

The blonde woman, who had confirmed her own words again, muttered in a tone of deep sorrow.

“And since you already threw away your body… Tsk.”

Jin Ye-seo flinched slightly at the blonde woman’s words. She sighed and opened her mouth in a tone that seemed slightly resigned.

“Still, I think I have to ask you one thing for sure. From now on, you will have to answer my questions honestly.”

“… What is it?”

I could tell intuitively that this question was the final hurdle.

But why are you taking so long to pose such a difficult question?

“Are you sure you can make my daughter… happy?”

“… ?”

But what came out of his mouth was a question he had never expected. All the strength left his tense body.

“I was so upset by men when I was young. I never want my daughter to go through the same hardships as I did.”

The blonde woman who asked the question had a very lonely expression on her face. Her hazy eyes seemed to be filled with memories of past hardships.

That’s that… What on earth is your plan?

I just can’t figure out what the intention is.

“Okay, so I’ll ask you again. My daughter. Can you make her happy? If you’re not sure, you’d better be honest about it now.”

Then, in an instant, he changed his expression and stared at me with cold eyes.

“If I ever change my words or anything like that… I will definitely avenge this disgrace even if it means going to war with my Black Lotus.”

… I feel like things are getting a lot bigger than I first thought.

I lowered my gaze to Jinyeseo. Before I knew it, her eyes had become bright and she was waiting for my answer.

“… ”

Dozens of thoughts crossed my mind, and I squeezed my eyes shut.

Anyway, there is only one way left for me to get out of this predicament.

Whatever the blonde woman’s intentions were.

“Gyah!”

I put my arm around Jin Ye-seo’s shoulder and spoke to her mother in a firm voice.

“… I will definitely make you happy.”

***

Jin Ye-seo was facing her mother in a tense mood. It was a conversation between the two of them, with the man temporarily removed because there was an intimate conversation between mother and daughter.

-Hwaruk…

Expressionless, closed lips. Sparks flickering beneath her feet. Unlike Jinyeseo, it was not completely black, but only half-colored. It was also the fundamental reason why she shouldered the burden of restoring the black flames.

The anxiety I felt when the man disappeared earlier, and the disappointment of having my first dance taken away from me, were minor things compared to the current situation.

“Sigh… ”

A deep, heavy sigh is heard.

The reason why the mother treated the man that way was clear. She thought that it would be more beneficial to show him a friendly side, given the situation.

The story of the belligerent girl who saved her family by beheading her parents is long gone. Her mother’s cruelty, which met with her lust for power, did not disappear, but rather developed into a more secretive form.

“I’ve already given it all… body and mind… Ha.”

The voice was mumbling softly. Jin Ye-seo could clearly tell that her mother was extremely angry at the moment.

“My dear daughter, my alter ego. Do you know what you have done?”

Jin Ye-seo swallowed hard.

The final test of love awaited her.