Chapter 211
Chapter 211
Then the man shouted.
“Again, again! You called me Oppa!”
Judging by his obsession with being called Oppa, it was definitely Dang Seho.
Why does he look so old?
As I blinked in bewilderment, he smirked and stroked his chin.
“I, the great me, will understand. You think I’ve become more handsome, right?”
“What is it? Why did you grow a beard?”
Dang Seho’s lips drooped at my distaste.
“…Damn it. Does it look weird to you too? Should I just shave it?”
“Yeah. Shave it. Right now.”
It was hard to find the youthful image I remembered in the guy scratching his head, covering his awkwardly grown beard.
But the fact that he was as talkative as ever was no different from before.
“How could you not send even a single letter? No matter how busy you are, is it so hard to write a few words to say you’re alive?”
“Sorry. I thought about it, but I forgot because I was being chased by Assassins.”
“…Chased by Assassins? Really? Who sent them? Are you hurt—no, are you lying?”
“I’m not lying.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. What crazy person would send Assassins after a member of the Tang Clan. How would they handle the aftermath? Are you making fun of me because I haven’t been outside Sichuan? I know everything.”
I’m also curious about how my crazy aunt will handle the aftermath. Dang Gak is dead too, so I’m looking forward to seeing what she’ll do.
I shrugged and replied casually.
“Yeah, yeah. Actually, it wasn’t Assassins, it was Demonic Cultists.”
“Hey! Are you going to keep teasing me?”
It’s true.
Dang Seho, annoyed that he didn’t like my answer, soon changed the subject.
“Hey, but what have you been doing to get the nickname Poison Butterfly? Were you slicing people up?”
“Something like that.”
“Chohee (older sister/Ms. Chohee) really liked it. As soon as she heard your nickname, she said you needed a weapon to match and locked herself in the Iron Workshop and made a new Flying Dagger…”
Why does he seem even more talkative than when he was young?
After rambling on for a while, Dang Seho glanced at me and cleared his throat, adjusting his voice.
“Ahem, ahem. Hey.”
“What.”
“I don’t hate you.”
I chuckled at the sight of Dang Seho fidgeting with his earlobe, avoiding my gaze.
“…I know.”
If he hated me, he wouldn’t have rushed over in the middle of the night to shout at me to run away, or be upset that I hadn’t written to him.
The guy rolled his eyes awkwardly and quickly changed the subject.
“But where are you going? Your residence?”
“No. Clan Head Hall. I’m going to see the Patriarch and say hello.”
“Do you remember the way to the Clan Head Hall? Should I take you?”
“Do you think I’m an idiot?”
“You used to not know the way, so Chohee (older sister/Ms. Chohee) had to take you. It wasn’t just once or twice.”
“……”
“Right?”
How did this guy know that?
When I shut my mouth, Dang Seho chuckled and started walking ahead as if telling me to follow him.
I was following him without much thought, but I stopped in surprise at the unfamiliar scenery.
In the middle of the inner city, there was an empty lot overgrown with weeds.
It was where Dang Gak’s residence had been.
“W-What is this?”
“Haven’t you heard? The day Jong Hyun-jo came out of closed-door training, the family almost went bankrupt. The fortress walls were smashed, the pavilions collapsed… About five buildings over there were blown away too, but they’ve been rebuilt.”
“Grandfather did that? Why?”
“Why else? Because of you. He started looking for you as soon as he came out. But how could someone who’s been kicked out be at home?”
“Ah…”
As I stared blankly at the ruined site, Dang Seho muttered quietly.
“I guess they won’t be able to build anything for ten years. Jong Hyun-jo forbade anyone from touching the site.”
It was a warning.
A warning not to forget Dang Gak’s end.
The gruesome scene made me realize why Uncle Geun-myeong had warned me that there would be people who resented me.
Because I was the reason why the Grand Elder’s disgraceful death was so bizarrely displayed.
As my expression darkened, Dang Seho grumbled.
“Don’t worry about it, it’s not your fault. It was going to happen someday. I was close to Jan (older brother Jan), but… that brother and the Grand Elder kept crossing the line. I’m the Patriarch’s son, but whenever he drank, he’d spout nonsense about being the next Patriarch.”
“Yeah. I’m not worried.”
“Is that what someone who’s not worried looks like? So gloomy. It’s really not your fault. The adults were being stupid.”
“What. Is it okay to say that?”
“What does it matter. It’s the truth. But the dumbest choice of all was made by Father. How can we respect Father as we did before after seeing him kick you out? Anyway, we’re here.”
Dang Seho, who had been muttering with a disgusted look on his face, stopped and pointed to the door. It was the Clan Head Hall.
The guard warriors, recognizing Dang Seho’s face, bowed to him, then rolled their eyes as if not knowing what to do when they saw me.
Dang Seho’s eyes narrowed at the sight.
“Hey, why aren’t you guys greeting my sister? She’s also the Patriarch’s daughter, you know?”
Only then did the guard warriors, realizing what was going on, hurriedly bow their heads and open the way.
“Should I go with you?”
“No, I’ll go alone.”
“Trying to act tough. Okay. Go and come back.”
As I nodded and tried to climb the stairs, I ran into Dang Young-ho, who was walking out with a very intimidated look on his face.
“Hello. Eldest Brother.”
After hesitating for a moment, I greeted him, but Dang Young-ho distorted his face and brushed past me as if he hadn’t heard me.
Still a jerk.
Dang Seho, familiar with his brother’s reaction, opened his mouth nonchalantly.
“Don’t worry about Eldest Brother. He’s just jealous of you.”
“Huh?”
“You’re Immunity to all poisons, right? He lived his whole life as a dull and foolish Young Patriarch / Heir Apparent, but suddenly the youngest sibling who was kicked out has the talent he so desperately wanted. He’s the disciple of the clan’s best martial artist. How do you think he feels? He must be seething inside.”
I stared at Dang Seho.
He kept offering me comfort, telling me not to be hurt because it wasn’t my fault.
This guy… he’s changed a lot.
When I didn’t say anything, he hurriedly added.
“Of course, that doesn’t mean I’m like that? I know my place.”
“Oppa. Have you grown up?”
“Of course. I’m your Oppa, right? Hurry up and go. I’ll wait and take you to your residence.”
“Why?”
“Looking at how they’re acting, I’m worried you won’t even be able to get to your residence alone!”
Seeing him worrying about such strange things, it seemed like I looked as naive as I did when I was fifteen and had just joined the family.
I can just beat them up if they block my way. They all look so weak that they’ll fall over if you just nudge them.
I didn’t care about the guards’ attitude at all, but Dang Seho’s concern didn’t feel bad.
“Okay. I’ll be back.”
I smiled and answered, then crossed the threshold of the Clan Head Hall.
Dang Mu-hyeok, whom I hadn’t seen in a long time, looked completely different from what I remembered.
His sharply shining eyes were sunken in melancholy, and the graying hair at his temples made him look much older than his actual age.
He was so weak that I wouldn’t have thought he was the Patriarch if I had met him outside.
Hiding my surprise, I respectfully clasped my hands in salute.
“I greet the Patriarch. I have just returned to the main family.”
“…Yeah.”
Even his voice was listless.
Dang Mu-hyeok, staring at me with inscrutable eyes, soon covered his mouth with his sleeve and coughed.
Judging by the constant hacking cough, it seemed that his internal injuries had not healed completely.
The rumors that Grandfather’s wrath was no joke were becoming a reality.
…The Patriarch would be in trouble if he died, so he only kept him alive.
As I fidgeted, not knowing where to look, Dang Mu-hyeok said as if that was enough.
“We’re not in a position to have a long conversation. You may leave now.”
The calm dismissal, devoid of any emotion, was strange.
He always used to show his disgust without hesitation.
“Yes. I will leave now.”
I answered obediently and turned around.
But Dang Mu-hyeok’s pathetic appearance didn’t feel good.
Instead, I felt depressed.
I thought he was a cold-hearted person who wouldn’t bleed a drop even if you pricked him with a needle.
He was my biological father who had stood by and watched my death, so I hated him as much as I wanted.
But that…
He looked so pathetic that it felt meaningless to hate and resent him.
I never knew that pity and hatred could be felt at the same time.
As I tried to soothe my complicated feelings and came outside, I saw Dang Seho grabbing the guard warriors and lecturing them about something.
“You came out quickly?”
“Yeah, well.”
Dang Seho, awkwardly releasing the guard warrior’s collar, rolled his eyes and looked at me intently.
He seemed worried that Dang Mu-hyeok might have laid a hand on me.
Only after confirming that nothing had happened did he relax his face and gesture.
“Let’s go.”
His back, walking with his shoulders puffed out on purpose, was not trustworthy at all, but it was enough to improve my depressed mood.
It seemed that he was still bothered by the fact that he hadn’t been able to help me properly that day.
…This isn’t bad either.
I chuckled and followed Dang Seho slowly.
