Locking Up the Daughter and Making Her Mother My Wife

Once I'd finished filming Minkyung's video, the next step came a little easier.

I'd already rented the room next door under the pretense of needing a friend, and I shoved Minkyung inside, telling her to stay put for the time being. The place was completely empty, so I handed over whatever I could spare on short notice — the blanket and pillow I'd been using, toilet paper, dishes, a portable gas burner, and the rest of my daily necessities. I wouldn't need any of it anymore. Starting tonight, I'd be living at Miyeon's place.

Besides, after stealing her mother, her house, her entire fortune, and her life itself — was a used blanket really too much to spare? Haha.

"You want me to use the stuff you were using? Even the blanket and pillow? Ugh..."

This bitch. Should I just hit her...?

"Then give them back. Sleep on the bare floor, take a shit, and wipe yourself with your fingers for all I care..."

"No, no, no! I'll use them... But, um... ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠aren't you going to give me anything to eat? Instant noodles, side dishes... there's not even a grain of rice in here."

"...Look, Minkyung. You already know this, but I'm unemployed right now. I can barely feed myself. What exactly do you think I have to give you?"

"What? So you're telling me to starve?"

Ha Minkyung shot back like she couldn't believe what she was hearing — but the power of life and death over her belonged to me.

"Ugh, this is exhausting... I don't even have food for myself. What am I supposed to give you?"

"B-but still... at least some ramen..."

"Haa... Do you even understand the situation you're in right now?"

"I-I do, I know that, but..."

"Then sit quietly in the corner of that room and reflect on the crimes you've committed. And whenever you've got time, start thinking about how you're going to earn money to buy your own food. I'm leaving."

"What? W-wait, hang on..."

"Oh, and you know you're a wanted criminal, right? Tomorrow morning, detectives are going to raid your house. When they find out you're gone, they'll search this entire building. So don't make a single sound. And if anyone knocks on that door, unless it's me, they're all cops. Don't open it for anyone."

Then I drove the suggestion in like a spike.

"Got it?"

"Y-yes..."

I left the cowed Minkyung behind, shut the door, and walked out.

I felt light. Refreshing, even — like I'd ripped a tumor out of my body and tossed it straight into the trash.

Alright then. Time to head over to the house where Miyeon's waiting.

I walked past my own room and headed for the stairs leading up. The top floor of this building was no longer the home of Kim Miyeon and Ha Minkyung, mother and daughter. From this moment on, it was the home where Kim Miyeon and I would live as husband and wife. Hahaha.

I climbed ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the last of the stairs and pressed the doorbell. The hurried shuffle of slippers came through, and the intercom lit up.

"It's me, Auntie."

The door opened at once.

Kim Miyeon greeted me the way a wife greets a husband who has been gone far too long, throwing her arms around me and pulling me in. She was dressed in pale pink silk lingerie. Had she been standing by, ready to fall into my arms the moment I arrived?

"Minha..."

"Haha. Let's go inside first, Auntie."

"Okay..."

I wrapped my arm gently around Miyeon's waist and sat down with her on the living room sofa. As if she'd been waiting for this exact moment, she asked about Minkyung first.

"Minkyung is...?"

"Ah... I locked Minkyung in the room next door."

Even when I talked about her own daughter the way you'd talk about a criminal you'd just locked up, Miyeon didn't bat an eye.

"Did she listen to you? I was so worried she might say something awful to you..."

That was it. Miyeon wasn't worried about Minkyung — she was worried about me. What a lovely woman, willing to abandon her own daughter for my sake.

"She didn't listen well. So I'm going to keep her locked in that room, give her the bare minimum of food, and start by thoroughly educating her to reflect on the life she's been living. After that, I'll teach her the rewarding life of working and earning even a little money on her own. It won't be easy, of course."

Miyeon nuzzled her face against my chest as she answered.

"You've worked so hard... I'll trust only you, Minha... I don't know how lucky I am to have you."

As she nestled against me, my hand found its way to her ass as naturally as breathing, stroking the curve of it. The soft silk made her even smoother under my palm.

"Auntie. There's something I need to ask of you when it comes to rehabilitating Minkyung going forward."

"Yes, please tell me."

"As I mentioned before, I'm going to put Minkyung through harsh education and guidance to turn her into a proper person. During that process, I need you to pretend Minkyung doesn't exist."

"I know, Minha. You're working so hard for my daughter's sake. I can't get in the way of that. Until the day your work is done, I'll treat Minkyung as if she never existed in this world."

That was even more than I'd hoped to hear. She'd treat her as if she never existed...!

Was this the heart of a mother blinded by love?

I took Miyeon's face in my hands, tilted it up so she was looking at me, and spoke.

"When I discipline Minkyung, I might hit her. I might beat her quite a lot."

"Yes. That's fine..."

Her eyes sparkled with boundless trust and love for me.

"I might beat her until she bleeds. She might scream or cry with bruises turning purple all over her body."

"It's all because I failed to do this sooner that things turned out this way. You're working so hard to set her straight. I'm fine with all of it... Please guide her however you want, as much as you want."

If Ha Minkyung had heard those words, she would have been devastated. For me, they were nothing but satisfying.

"No matter what state Minkyung ends up in, you won't care, right?"

"Yes... I don't have a child anymore. I don't know any girl named Minkyung."

As she said this, Miyeon parted her lips slightly, making it clear she wanted a kiss. But I still had something important left to say to her.

"Auntie. Now that the bothersome presence standing between us is gone... shall we become husband and wife, and live happily together here?"

"M-Minha...!"

At my sudden proposal, Miyeon's eyes grew moist. Tears of joy and happiness welled up and clung to her lashes.

"I've wanted to live as husband and wife with you for a long time. I couldn't say it because of Minkyung, but now... I want to become your husband, proudly."

"Thank you, Minha...! Ah, I truly love you...!"

Unable to contain her joy, Miyeon threw her arms around my neck.

Wanting to become her husband proudly was the truth. That way, I'd have a legal claim to her fortune. Even though Kim Miyeon was forty-eight, my daily suggestion that her body was growing younger had already taken hold — she looked like she was in her mid-thirties. I'd already arranged for her appearance to eventually return to her twenties, so age wasn't an issue at all. If anything, it was far more profitable for her to live as long and as healthily as possible, devotedly serving me with everything she had.

Miyeon clung to me, pouring out thank-yous and raining hot kisses across my face. I had a feeling I would never forget this particular kiss — one where I tasted more tears than saliva.

I'd actually needed to discuss the specific things I would have to do here even after we got married, but given the mood, I put it off and headed to the bedroom with her.

Miyeon's bedroom. It was a room that deserved the word alluring.

The moment I stepped inside, the scent of a woman ripened to full maturity drifted out, mingled with a faintly seductive, lingering perfume. This was the place where Kim Miyeon's pheromones had accumulated, layer upon layer. It was probably the result of the complex internal changes as her body rapidly grew younger under my suggestion — she was giving off this thick, concentrated pheromone.

"Auntie, are we husband and wife now?"

"Yes, honey..."

Standing face to face in front of the bed, Miyeon called me honey without the slightest hesitation.

"Honey... that really is a nice word to hear."

"Honey. You should speak casually with me now too... You're my husband, after all."

Miyeon really did pick only the loveliest things to say.

"Uh... should I...?"

"Yes, honey... I like that..."

"Then, is it okay ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠if I call you Miyeon?"

"Yes, honey... Aah, hearing you call me by my name makes me ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠so happy... It finally feels like I've truly become your woman — your wife... I'm crying... sob."

As she said this, tears really did stream down her face. Those tears felt like sacred water gifted by a fairy, so I pressed my lips to them and sucked them away. And naturally, it led into a kiss.

It was a kiss we shared every day, and yet in this moment we swallowed each other's saliva in an atmosphere that felt solemn and sacred.

And so, after locking Ha Minkyung away, I became Kim Miyeon's husband.