Chapter 243: Family Meeting
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 243: Family Meeting
As everyone stared with wide eyes, Jang Ye Ri spoke once more.
“I know you are busy. However, thanks to Choi Eunju here, we have become much freer from the constraints of distance. It can’t be helped when you are truly swamped with work, but I would like you to spend a little more time with us when you have at least some breathing room. It doesn’t matter if you come to us, or we go to you.”
Mev was the one nodding. Having spent quite a long time alone, she was nodding with all her might. She might have had Laveua, but a village with no one to play with—the Goblin Three Sisters, Lee Wanyong, and Kim Yoora were all gone—was likely more boring than one might think. Jang Ye Ri looked at Mev and continued.
“Waiting is far more difficult than you think. Especially in a situation like today.”
Her words had thorns.
In truth, Jang Ye Ri was right. With Choi Eunju here, distance was no longer an excuse. While not to the extent of Ragia, Gark was also managing the clan quite well, and since I had thrown all the minor tasks to Lee Wanyong, I could be considered to have quite a bit of free time at night, as long as no major crisis erupted.
“I will do so from now on. I’m sorry.”
As soon as I finished speaking, Choi Seulgi opened her mouth.
“Since there are six of us here, it would be best for each of us to take one day, and you can do as you please on the remaining day. Right? Kim Taesung. We’ll decide the days among ourselves. Or, meeting like this on the leftover day isn’t a bad idea either.”
Everyone seemed quite pleased. Even Baek Ahyeon, who had been anxiously worrying about whether I would be uncomfortable, looked to be in a good mood. The truth was, there had been no set rules until now. When I was in the Brother’s Land, they would come in a rough order, but that was managed by Mev, the matron of the clan, and even then, if I wasn’t settled in the village, there were severe cases where they had to wait for over a month.
It was no wonder I felt I had been thoughtless all this time. Jung Hayeon and Choi Eunju also looked quite lively.
Since they were less capable of properly asserting their opinions than Choi Seulgi, Jang Ye Ri, or Mev, they must have been under even more stress.
Amidst all this, the one who was truly surprising was Choi Seulgi.
It was fascinating how well she was fitting in. From the others’ perspective, Choi Seulgi was a newcomer, but from Choi Seulgi’s perspective, they were nothing more and nothing less than outsiders who had rolled in.
It seemed she was serious about yielding this time, just as she had been the one left out in our past life, which made me feel a little strange. I thought that perhaps I had wanted her to be a little jealous.
“I… I’d like Friday.”
“The same for me.”
Friday was a popular choice.
“Um… would Saturday be alright for me?”
Baek Ahyeon claimed Saturday, likely aiming for the period transitioning from Saturday to Sunday, as the grand worship service was held on Sunday. Choi Eunju took Wednesday. It took only a moment for them to find a point of agreement.
Jung Hayeon picked a day for the cluelessly standing Mev, who also looked very satisfied with the choice.
The next to speak was Mev. It seemed she had only just realized what this gathering was for. In a manner of speaking, the topic was complaints about Blood Dagger. The discussion was the process of resolving them. It seemed to have been slightly distorted, but that was fine.
“Time with Laveua is important too! Right, Captain?”
“Uhm…”
Of course, it was right to cherish my only heir. While everyone was nodding, Choi Seulgi alone muttered, looking curious. It was a situation where I couldn’t help but feel a little tense.
“Who’s Laveua?”
To make matters worse, Mev lifted her chin with an incredibly arrogant air. Her tone was one of, ‘While you were away, I achieved something this great,’ so it was only natural to be worried.
“She is the fruit of Blood Dagger’s and my love. She’s one year old now. Fufufufufu. The sole heir of the Blood Dagger Clan.”
“Ahhh… is that so?”
Choi Seulgi’s expression crumpled as she immediately looked at me.
“Haaa….”
She let out a deep sigh, her face a mask of utter disbelief. Of course, she couldn’t have expected something like this. The other women might not have noticed, but the current Choi Seulgi was definitely angry. Having spent so much time with her, I could naturally pick up on her small habits. The proof was her constantly tapping her fingers on the desk or touching her hair.
An explanation would have to come later, but it looked like I was in for a rough time. However, the content of the meeting itself was good. Although Mev was taking good care of Laveua, it was decided that when Mev was unavailable, everyone would take turns looking after her. In addition, various other opinions poured out.
There was even talk about what to do in the distant future when they became pregnant, and the way Jang Ye Ri’s lips were moving, it seemed she had something to say.
“If there are any other good suggestions, I’d like you to say them now.”
“It wouldn’t be a bad idea for all of us to gather like this about once a month, Taesung-ssi.”
It was Jung Hayeon who spoke, and everyone began to nod. Not much time had passed since they had all come together, but it seemed they all shared a unique sense of kinship, which likely helped them get along so quickly.
Though it was a bit lacking, they were each feeling that the others were family. This seemed to be even more true for Jung Hayeon and Choi Eunju, and Choi Seulgi was no exception.
She seemed a bit displeased after hearing about Laveua, but the enclosure of a family didn’t feel so bad to her.
“How about we meet up on our own when Kim Taesung isn’t around?”
“Not a bad idea.”
“Great!”
“Yes.”
Perhaps because of her good social skills, she was blending in quite naturally. The simple-minded Mev seemed to have forgotten all about the past. I could see her internal evaluation of Choi Seulgi change from a backstabbing, nasty woman to a reasonably useful one.
As time went on, various rules and regulations began to emerge. By the time we were nearly finished, the atmosphere was so warm and friendly, with a few exceptions, that I could feel relieved. Finally, after so much time had passed that there was nothing left to talk about, Jang Ye Ri spoke.
“Then, let’s conclude the family meeting. It seems most things have been brought up. You and Choi Seulgi seem to have met after a long time, so I will prepare a separate room for you.”
“Thank you.”
“I have also prepared separate rooms for the others, so you may all rest well today. The busy work begins tomorrow.”
“Thank you.”
Just as Jang Ye Ri had started the meeting, she was the one to end it.
“Captain, see you tomorrow!”
“Taesung-ssi, please let me know if you get hungry. I’ll be with Ahyeon.”
“O Savior, may you have a peaceful night.”
Only after everyone had given me a hug could I finally leave. Choi Eunju’s particularly pained expression as she looked at me remained in my memory. As I went up to the room, Choi Seulgi immediately began to speak.
“Kim Taesung.”
Naturally, having something to feel guilty about, I had no choice but to keep my mouth shut.
“Hey! Can’t you hear me?”
“What…”
“I didn’t hear anything about you having a kid.”
“…”
“Ha… this bastard Kim Taesung is complete trash… Do you remember what you said to me before you died?”
Of course, I remembered. I recalled it was something about having kids and living happily ever after.
“Six wives and one kid? You’ve already made your dream come true. You were living so happily together. You’re really something else. Was it all a lie that you were looking for me?”
I thought the best answer when she was this angry was a physical approach, so as I slyly closed the distance, Choi Seulgi spoke, dumbfounded. Seeing her playfully push me away with her foot, it seemed she had fortunately calmed down a bit as time passed.
“Get lost. Don’t touch me.”
“We can just make one too. Right?”
“Still as smooth as ever. Ha… how did I get hooked by a bastard like this… I’m really not in the mood today, so go to Jang Ye Ri.”
“Why?”
“Just go. The way she looked like she had something to say earlier… and how she was subtly irritated. Besides, weren’t you supposed to meet with Jang Ye Ri today in the first place? She did her hair, dressed up, and put on pretty makeup, unlike usual, just waiting for her man to return. How would you feel if some shameless bitch suddenly snatched him away?”
“Will you be okay?”
“Stop asking. It makes me feel regretful too. I’ve waited for years, so waiting a few more days doesn’t really matter. And… absolutely do not show blatant favoritism. It’s fine to take care of someone a little when the others aren’t around, but if you keep looking after only one person, being nice to only one person, and paying attention to only one person, it’ll just make the atmosphere uncomfortable and create discord, you get it? It’s important to be neutral in these things… Then again, in our past life, you only knew me, so how would you know?”
In truth, it wasn’t that I had only known Choi Seulgi, but I kept my mouth firmly shut.
“Well… I know that much.”
“Still, I’m relieved.”
“About what?”
“Never mind. You don’t need to know. Just hurry up and go. She might be crying by now. Heh.”
Just as I was about to leave at Choi Seulgi’s words, I moved with a slightly hesitant expression, and she spoke from behind me.
“It doesn’t seem so bad. Having a family. Right?”
I nodded. It certainly wasn’t a bad feeling. If I thought that I only had Choi Seulgi and she only had me, then having such a large family was also very enjoyable. It was the moment I could understand why Choi Seulgi had been able to accept them so easily.
“Yeah, I think it’s good too.”
“Puhahaha. Don’t try so hard.”
“You get some rest. See you tomorrow.”
After a brief reunion with Choi Seulgi, I made my way to Jang Ye Ri’s bedroom. Although Choi Seulgi had jokingly said she might be crying, I didn’t think Jang Ye Ri’s personality was one to cry.
What made me uneasy was when I saw that none of the maids who served her were around her room. Thanks to that, I had to admit that Choi Seulgi had been right. She had pretended to be calm, but she had been in a very bad mood. When I knocked on the door, a voice came through immediately.
“I said I wish to be alone, so no one is to enter.”
As I carefully opened the door and went inside, the first thing I saw were the luxurious items in the room, all broken. Jang Ye Ri was lying face down on the bed, and I could tell at a glance that she was depressed.
Seeing me, Jang Ye Ri shot up in an instant. Her makeup was smudged, as if she had really been crying, and I saw her try to cover her face as much as possible.
She had been deeply hurt.
It was the first time I had ever seen Jang Ye Ri like this, so much so that it was a bit bewildering. As I took a tentative step forward, Jang Ye Ri spoke immediately.
“I am not in the mood to be with you today. It would be more beneficial for you to go and spend a happy time with the woman you love so dearly.”
Only after Jang Ye Ri finished speaking could I understand everything Choi Seulgi had said and why she was so incredibly sad.