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The door to the residence opened, and Father suddenly appeared.

His breathing was slightly rough, as if he had run here, and his eyes were filled with intensity.

Especially.

‘What’s this?’

His gaze was fixed on my spoon, staring so intently that it was more than a little uncomfortable. What’s with those eyes? He’s always had a strong gaze, but now it feels even more intense.

“……Who’s this?”

Nangong Hyeong asked, looking at the person who had appeared. But the answer came from elsewhere.

“Cheolun!”

Mother happily called out Father’s name with a smile and immediately jumped up, running toward him.

“Cheolun! You’re here!?”

“…….”

Father’s expression changed at the sight. Uh, oh.

‘He looks angry.’

He definitely seems mad. I’ve got a bad feeling about this.

“I’m here-.”

Just as Mother was about to say something to Father.

“What do you think you’re doing right now?”

A cold voice filled the room.

“Cough.”

Nangong Hyeong, who had been quietly eating, coughed as if startled by the voice.

“Oh dear…….”

Hyeon Soyeon’s reaction was the same. She seemed to sense something unusual.

“Uh……uh?”

Mother also seemed flustered by Father’s unexpected reaction.

But.

“You.”

Father didn’t stop.

“I clearly warned you to stay locked in your room and not come out. Didn’t I?”

“Ah, no, that’s not it…….”

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

“……That’s…….”

“Come with me.”

“W-wait, there’s still food left……!”

Mother glanced at Hyeon Soyeon’s food with lingering regret, but as Father pulled her hand, she was about to be dragged away.

“Ah……!”

Thud-!

“……!”

Mother shook off Father’s hand.

At that, Father’s eyes turned as sharp as a lantern.

“Wait a second……!”

Mother, having shaken off his hand, suddenly ran back toward me.

“Do you have to finish this and that? You’ll eat it all, right?”

“……Huh?”

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

“You’ll eat it, right? Got it?”

“No. What’s going on?”

“I’m leaving!”

“……Huh?”

After piling everything in front of me, she turned back to Father.

“Cheolun! Let’s go now!”

“…….”

With a bright smile as if everything was resolved, Father looked at me this time.

Perhaps because he was near the entrance, the dim light made his red eyes even more vivid.

‘……Yikes, scary.’

His gaze was fierce. It was the kind of gaze that made you gulp without realizing it.

Not long after.

“You.”

Father spoke to me.

“Come find me as soon as the sun rises tomorrow.”

“……Yes.”

After issuing the warning, he turned and dragged Mother away.

In the silence that followed, I thought to myself.

‘I’m screwed.’

It seems like I’ve really messed up. Just as I was starting to feel a headache coming on.

“Phew…… Now I can finally breathe.”

Nangong Hyeong let out the breath he had been holding and took a deep breath. His face had turned pale, clearly shaken.

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

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

“Famous? Who is it?”

“It’s Shin Ryong.”

“……Huh?”

At Hyeon Soyeon’s words, Nangong Hyeong furrowed his brows. Then he immediately looked at me.

“Then who are you?”

“…….”

His words reminded me of the conversation we had earlier in the day.

“That man just now was Shin Ryong? No way…… huh? Now that I think about it, the young lady next to him called him Cheolun…… so, is he really Shin Ryong Gu Cheolun?”

He was slowly piecing it together.

“Wait, so you’re really not Shin Ryong?”

“I clearly said I wasn’t……?”

“That can’t be…… then who are you?”

“…….”

“Huh? What’s going on? Do you two know each other? How?”

As Hyeon Soyeon joined the conversation, I rubbed my forehead.

‘Ah.’

I felt a headache coming on.

No, it was already here.

* * *

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

Unlike when Father had entered, nothing much happened afterward.

As soon as Mother disappeared, my Qi Perception returned, and I could sense everything again, so there was no danger.

‘It really was because of Mother.’

The reason my Qi Perception was disrupted. It was definitely because of Mother.

The problem was.

‘It seems like others can’t feel the difference.’

It seems I’m the only one whose Qi Perception fades when near Mother. Neither Hyeon Soyeon nor Nangong Hyeong seemed to notice much, so it must be true.

‘There’s something going on.’

It seems like there’s something connected in this world too.

As I was walking, lost in thought.

“What are you thinking about?”

Hyeon Soyeon, who was walking with me, asked.

“It’s nothing.”

By the way, Nangong Hyeong disappeared right after finishing his meal. He seemed shocked that I wasn’t really Shin Ryong, but he must have gotten over it quickly because he left in a hurry after filling his stomach.

Every time I see him.

‘He was weird back then too.’

It seems Gwaeseon Nangong Hyeong has always been a strange person since he was young.

And.

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

There’s another strange person here too.

A woman who looks exactly like Nangong Bi-ah but has a completely different personality.

“I’m not really bored.”

“Come on. You’re lying. Your face says you’re bored.”

I honestly wasn’t bored.

“How could that be? Isn’t it you, Young Lady, who’s bored?”

“Oh. Right, how did you know?”

“……”

“I’m bored. So, talk to me.”

Honestly, such a bold attitude. How can someone be so shameless?

“What do you want me to say?”

“That thing earlier. It’s bothering you, right?”

“Huh?”

That thing earlier? What is she talking about?

“That Young Lady and Shin Ryong. It’s bothering you, isn’t it? Right?”

“……What are you talking about?”

“No? Prince Baek. You like that Young Lady, don’t you?”

“……”

“But then Shin Ryong showed up and took her away so easily, so you’re hurt, right? The stick of love. A passionate love triangle. Isn’t that it?”

For a moment, I was at a loss for words. I couldn’t even think of what to say.

‘Wow.’

Is there really such nonsense?

Who’s bothered by whom……? The stick of love? A passionate what?

It was a series of expressions that made me want to gag.

“No. It’s not like that.”

“No? From the moment you first saw her, you couldn’t take your eyes off her. She’s definitely beautiful. I’m pretty too, but she’s the first person I’ve seen who doesn’t lose to me.”

“……You have quite the self-esteem, don’t you?”

“With looks like this, it’s only natural.”

How long have we been talking? It feels like not much time has passed, but I’m already drained.

Hyun Soyeon had quite a bit of pride in her looks. With looks like hers, it’s understandable, but……

‘She’s so different from my daughter.’

Hyun Soyeon was the complete opposite of the daughter she would have in the future.

“So, am I right?”

“……No.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Really not.”

“Then you don’t like her?”

“I don’t like……”

I paused for a moment. When she asked if I didn’t like my mother, I couldn’t speak for a moment.

“Hehe.”

Misunderstanding again, Hyun Soyeon’s reaction turned a bit ugly.

The misunderstanding seemed to be deepening endlessly.

“I said no?”

“Oh, come on. Let’s just go with that then.”

“Damn it……”

“But don’t lose hope. From what I saw earlier, that Young Lady isn’t completely uninterested in you, Prince Baek.”

“……What?”

“You know. She didn’t eat her own food. She was only paying attention to you all day.”

“……”

That was a bit strange. She said she was hungry and dragged me here.

But she didn’t eat her own food and only took care of mine.

“That. Normally, that only happens with love. So, isn’t there some hope?”

“Enough.”

I didn’t need to hear more. Talking about love and all that.

“I’m not interested.”

“Doesn’t seem like it.”

“I said I’m not. No……”

I sighed and added. I was getting annoyed at the thought of more misunderstandings.

“I have a fiancée. I’m not interested.”

“Hmm?”

I said while looking at Hyun Soyeon. Seeing her face, which looked exactly the same, made it a bit better.

If I say this much, she won’t get involved, right? That’s what I thought when I said it.

“Oh, really? But?”

“What?”

Surprisingly, Hyun Soyeon reacted as if there was no problem.

“……I said I have a fiancée?”

“So what?”

“What do you mean, so what?”

“If you have a fiancée, can’t you love someone else?”

“What kind of nonsense is that?”

“Being engaged doesn’t mean you love them. It’s just something you have to do.”

“……What? Then what about you, Miss Hyun? Didn’t you like Prince Nangong?”

I’ve seen you chasing him around and taking care of him.

She was saying something completely opposite to her actions, so I asked in disbelief.

Then.

“Yes, I don’t like him.”

“……Huh?”

Her calm words made me pause.

What?

Despite my reaction, Hyun Soyeon spoke as if it was nothing.

“I told you. It’s something I have to do. This is different from love.”

She spat out the words and then chuckled.

I felt it from that laugh.

‘What.’

It was such a dry, dry laugh.

“It’s just like that. So.”

Tap tap. Hyun Soyeon tapped my shoulder.

“Speaking from experience. Grab it while you can. That’s…… what I found out. From experience. I’ll go first? Today was fun.”

And she walked away first.

By the time Hyun Soyeon had distanced herself and disappeared into the distance.

“Huh?”

My dazed mind came back.

Thanks to that, I was too surprised to ask.

‘What?’

Hyun Soyeon said she doesn’t love Nangong Jin.

I was so surprised by that part that I couldn’t even explain that it wasn’t like that.

‘……Huh?’

Then, what was the reason she chased Nangong Jin so desperately?

Even though she doesn’t like him?

‘Wow.’

I let out a hollow laugh. It seems.

‘She’s not normal either.’

It seems Hyun Soyeon has her own circumstances.

Of course.

‘……Then I shouldn’t get involved.’

She looks like nothing but trouble.

Now that I know, I don’t plan to get involved anymore.

……No matter what it takes.

 

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