I'm Sorry
"My name is Im I-nang. I was born in Unmong City and have lived here for over thirty years. I was one of the midwives who assisted during Young Master Bukjin's birth."
"I remember the night he was born as clearly as if it were yesterday. Thunder and lightning shook the heavens, and the rain fell harder than anything I have ever seen in my life. The waves rose thirty feet high, sinking many fishing boats and nearly destroying the harbor. At the moment the young master was born, the room was bathed in an eerie, crimson light. And the mistress... she passed away while giving birth to him. Sigh, it was truly a bizarre occurrence. I have assisted countless mothers, but I have never seen anyone as beautiful as the mistress. She was like a fairy descended from the heavens... It was such a tragedy..."
"I was the maid who served Young Master Bukjin until he turned five. Looking back now, there were so many strange things. If the young master was away from the detached villa for even a short time, he would immediately suffer from mental seizures. During those fits, his entire body would convulse, and black smoke would billow from his mouth and nose... The Marquis of All-Weather summoned famous divine physicians to treat him, but none could find a cure. As time passed, the symptoms gradually improved. When he wasn't having a seizure, the young master was far more intelligent than other children his age, though he often said very peculiar things."
"And after he turned five... he already began to show an interest in the affairs between men and women. He started committing shameful acts toward the maids of the Jeon-cheon-hu Manor. Even though he was just a child and couldn't do anything truly wicked, many of the maids suffered greatly. I endured it for a month before I couldn't take it anymore and quit. However, the Marquis was a good man. He never made things difficult for me and even provided me with a severance pay. Everything I testify today is the absolute truth..."
'Son of a...!'
Bukjin grimaced as he listened. 'You absolute beast! Harassing maids at the age of five? That's way too fast! To do such things in the body of a child who didn't even have the physical capability yet!'
Bukjin cursed the original owner of his body in his heart. He scanned the faces of those who had stepped forward as witnesses. Though they looked terrified, they didn't seem like the type of people who would intentionally harm someone. Therefore, it was highly likely that most of what they said was the truth.
'Interesting. What on earth was my father doing?'
"Ho-ho, did you hear that clearly, Im Bukjin?" Baek Hae-geum asked with a cold sneer. "Are you still going to try and talk your way out of this?"
Bukjin didn't even look at him, acting as if he had no intention of dealing with Baek Hae-geum at all. The complexions of many people in the surrounding crowd changed drastically. Im Gun-hyeon's expression was also incredibly complicated. The 7th Prince was watching Bukjin with a thoughtful look on his face. Cho Heun, Ban Oe-min, and the others were at a loss for how to help Bukjin or offer a rebuttal.
The identities of the servants and slaves who had stepped forward were no secret; it would be incredibly easy to verify if they truly held those positions. Since Dam Gogeum had allowed them to testify publicly, their identities and the contents of their statements were undoubtedly factual. If they were lying, it would likely be revealed in a subsequent investigation, and those giving false testimony would essentially be digging their own graves.
When the testimonies of the witnesses were pieced together, they proved two terrifying pieces of information. First, there were bizarre phenomena and ominous omens at the time of Bukjin's birth, and he had caused the death of his own mother. Second, Bukjin's mental illness had gradually improved only after the construction of the detached villa, which hid an altar for worshipping Sama in its underground palace.
As many people combined these two testimonies, a natural conclusion began to form in their minds. That Im Bukjin was the reincarnation of a Heavenly Outer Demon.
People began to think that the Marquis of All-Weather had realized this truth early on and had spent vast amounts of money and influence to hide it. Some even wondered if the Marquis himself was a demonic reincarnation. The Marquis had come from a background of extreme poverty, only to suddenly show growth that defied the heavens, performing incomprehensibly powerful feats and achieving legendary military merits. That was how he had earned the title of the Empire's War God.
As the situation spiraled, even the ordinary citizens who didn't fully understand the circumstances began to look at Bukjin with different eyes. Dam Gogeum spoke calmly.
"Im Bukjin, do you admit to what these people have said?"
After a moment of deliberation, Bukjin decided to remain silent. He judged that trying to be clever in a moment like this would do more harm than good. He already had a bad premonition. The more he spoke, the higher the chance he would make a mistake. However, inside, he was feeling absolutely frantic. Even if what the witnesses said was true, it was information that Bukjin himself knew absolutely nothing about.
Dam Gogeum continued, "It doesn't matter if you don't admit it. Now, listen to what your fellow students have to say."
Oh Sang-eon, standing to one side, waved his hand. At that, Oh So-bang was the first to step forward, trembling as he spoke.
"I-I am Oh So-bang... a second-year student at the 3rd Academy. I competed against Im Bukjin for a spot in the Academic & Martial Arts Competition during the mid-year tournament. Until four days before that tournament, Im Bukjin was barely at the level of a 1st-grade Warrior Rank. But for reasons unknown, after the news broke that the Jeon-cheon-hu Manor had been purged, his skills suddenly rose to an incomprehensible degree, as if he had become a completely different person..."
Then, Gwan Bi-do stepped forward and said through gritted teeth, "I felt exactly the same thing Oh So-bang just described. Not just us, but any student of the 3rd Academy knows exactly what kind of person Im Bukjin used to be..."
Mok Sim-wol also stepped forward. As the beautiful girl appeared, the crowd felt as if the world around them had brightened. 'What a truly beautiful youth!'
Mok Sim-wol was wearing the blue swordsman uniform of the 3rd Academy. Her long black hair was tied back neatly, and she stood with a graceful posture. Her face, as flawless as polished jade, was as beautiful as if it had been carved from white marble. There was a slight trace of exhaustion on her face, which triggered a protective instinct in many of the onlookers. Gazing at Bukjin with deep eyes, Mok Sim-wol let out a soft sigh.
"I am Mok Sim-wol, a second-year student at the 3rd Academy. I am a classmate of Im Bukjin. And... I was also a friend who was once very close to him..."
Mok Sim-wol continued her words carefully. Due to everything that had happened the previous night, she felt a massive whirlpool forming. Two terrifying powers were about to collide, and Bukjin was becoming the fuse for that explosion. Otherwise, there would be no reason for an Enshrined Expert from the Provincial Government to seek her out regarding Bukjin's affairs.
Mok Sim-wol knew clearly that in the face of the two massive forces she felt, she wasn't even as significant as a tiny ant. A single casual gesture from anyone in either faction could take her life. However, the current situation was also a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for her. She wanted to escape her unfortunate family environment and birth background to fly toward a higher sky. Therefore, she intended to seize this chance even if it meant taking a risk.
But the best way wasn't to tear Bukjin apart with her own teeth. It was simply important to speak the truth about what she knew.
"I am confident that I understand Student Im very well. He and I maintained a good relationship for a long time."
Mok Sim-wol's emotions were very stable. Unlike Oh So-bang, who had spoken with a trembling attitude, or Gwan Bi-do, who had been gritting his teeth, she was in a very composed state. She opened her mouth slowly.
"In truth, in many moments, Student Im was a gentle person and helped me a great deal. Of course, a rough personality would emerge at times, but that was likely due to his mental seizures. His cultivation was merely at the 1st-grade Warrior Rank until four days before the mid-year tournament. And after the news of the Jeon-cheon-hu Manor's purge spread, Student Im fell into great trouble. Many students who had been bullied by him within the academy tried to beat him and capture him. Furthermore, many people in the city who held grudges sought revenge, so he could do nothing but hide inside the academy."
Mok Sim-wol paused there, looking up to meet Bukjin's eyes. She found that he was watching her. However, Bukjin's face didn't hold the expression of rage she had imagined. Instead, his expression was... incredibly serene.
'Is it the calm before the storm? Or has he accepted his fate?'
Averting her gaze, Mok Sim-wol continued her testimony. The words that followed were about how Bukjin's strength had suddenly and drastically increased. The most important sentence in her statement was the phrase "as if he had become a completely different person," and she mentioned this point a total of four times.
"Student Im was always a good friend to me. I knew he had feelings for me. But after the incident at the Jeon-cheon-hu Manor, he suddenly became heartless toward me and treated me like a stranger. I felt clearly that his attitude wasn't an act, and I do not know the reason why."
Mok Sim-wol was speaking without the slightest exaggeration or omission. She was simply telling the story of the confusion and experiences she had felt from the perspective of an ex-girlfriend. Even Bukjin had to admit that all her statements were remarkably objective.
However, they were also fatal. The murmuring of the people in the plaza grew louder and louder. It wasn't impossible for a profligate to reform and become a genius, or for a fool to become a champion. But such a change usually couldn't happen in a day or two. Therefore, many suspicions were bound to arise.
Mok Sim-wol whispered toward Bukjin as if in a secret confidence.
"I'm sorry."
Having finished her words, Mok Sim-wol turned and stepped down.