Chapter 236
Chapter 236
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 236
Chapter Title: What Did You Say? (3)
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Namgung Hak couldn't believe his eyes.
"It's really, really okay, right? Right?"
His mother—his mother—was holding the man in her arms as if he were her lover, checking on his well-being over and over.
He could understand her stepping in to block him.
In fact, she had stopped him from unintentionally taking a life, so he was grateful rather than resentful.
'But...'
That punch from his mother, as she swatted away his sword—it had carried a faint trace of hostility, something close to enmity.
"Family Head Namgung, are you all right?"
Thinking that it had been for this man, who now gently pushed her away and rose to his feet, made Namgung Hak's hands tremble.
The sword in his grip felt impossibly heavy, and a hollow emptiness settled below his waist, as if nothing were there.
"Family Head, did I go too far? Are you hurt anywhere?"
He flinched.
That title she had used ever since his father passed and she returned from Sichuan.
"Family Head" felt so distant to Namgung Hak that he shuddered, only to lock eyes with the man.
Namgung Hak felt as though the man had seen right through his thoughts.
"...No, Mother. I nearly caused a disaster, but thanks to you, nothing irreversible happened. I'm grateful."
Somehow managing a response, Namgung Hak watched as his mother smiled softly, expressing her relief and patting her chest.
After showing such affection, did she really think it had gone unnoticed?
He was curious but lacked the courage to ask.
"It seems I got carried away. Shall we call it here? Young Hero Kang, are you all right?"
"Yes, I'm fine."
It was a matter he himself had started, yet the moment Namgung Hak got Kang Yun's agreement, he immediately left the training grounds.
Sorry as he was to Namgung Hye, his mind had flown blank of even thoughts of his sister, consumed only by the desire to escape this place.
He heard his mother's voice calling from behind, but not knowing what might happen if he turned back, he quickened his steps.
Rushing into the family head's quarters, he finally caught his breath alone and found the leisure to think.
'Since when? No, why?'
By any normal reasoning, such a relationship was impossible. That warmth—yes, perhaps she simply felt close to Kang Yun, who was young enough to be her son, like a son of her own.
Nothing strange about it. If he was her lifesaver and diligently visited to pay respects...
'Damn it!'
Thinking it over again, it seemed suspicious.
Friends or not, visiting every day like a regular? And not with a peer, but someone his mother's age? What could be so enjoyable?
Above all, Namgung Hak couldn't deny that his mother's punch had unconsciously carried hostility.
'Father... what should I do?'
His father had been frail but wisely led the family as head. If it were him in this situation, what would he have done?
'He'd have met the person involved and assessed the situation.'
Not that his grandmother had ever faced something like this, so even his father might not have, but Namgung Hak had no choice but to admit his own ignorance.
Kang Yun.
A fine man, all things considered. Aside from his unclear origins, he had no real flaws.
If not for this, Namgung Hak would have wanted to befriend him—he was that likable.
'It's unsettling, but he's the only one.'
Asking his mother directly was impossible; his filial piety ran too deep.
He could have asked right there, but he hadn't been in the right state of mind, and interrogating her would have been awkward.
Besides, revealing this to Namgung Hye, who knew nothing, would be too cruel, so escaping had been the right call.
That night, Namgung Hak would secretly summon Kang Yun to his chambers and realize he had the least information of all—but that was a minor issue.
"Hak... I'm sorry..."
He had clearly asked him to come alone.
Yet that night, Kang Yun arrived with Eon So-young and Namgung Hye in tow.
"Young Master... is this all right?"
Eon So-young whispered quietly near the family head's quarters.
After Namgung Hak roughly grasped the situation, shock plain on his face as he fled, I explained everything to Eon So-young, who seemed utterly clueless.
Sure enough, her expression turned ashen, like she might faint.
'So much for selling the estate with that "these trying times" line.'
Forget the manor or whatever—better to wrap everything up and have her move to the family. That's what made sense, so I reluctantly shook off the escorts and was deep in discussion with Eon So-young on how to convince her when Namgung Hak's summons came.
Of course, lacking confidence to face his mother, he specified just the two of us, but from that look, Namgung Hak was already deeply wounded.
In that case, better to include Eon So-young and deliver the killing blow properly.
'Atomic bomb or hydrogen bomb, either way it's dust.'
"We have to make it okay. Please speak as gently as possible so your son isn't too upset."
"Th-then what about me...?"
Namgung Hye tugged lightly at my sleeve and asked. Taking the breather, I confirmed with her too how things had gone down—and the situation was a masterpiece.
Of course, I was the one who remodeled her so thoroughly she couldn't live with her eunuch husband.
No excuse would change that I'd backed her into this corner.
'I said her pussy was mine forever, but I didn't expect her to take that as a proposal...'
No, common sense-wise, could it pass as one? I checked with Eon So-young—thankfully, no.
In the end, when I asked if she was into me, Namgung Hye got so hung up doubting if she'd really been proposed to that she couldn't properly deny it, spiking the already tough difficulty of convincing Namgung Hak.
"First, let's confirm. You're really set on splitting from Young Hero Huangbo?"
"...Yes. Better than making him suffer living with a woman like me..."
It was Huangbo Jun who started it all anyway. If Namgung Hye was dead set on leaving him, I had only one answer.
'Living with mother and daughter...?'
The child growing in Namgung Hye's belly—would it be Gyeon-i's little brother or nephew? A total mess with no answer.
If I were Namgung Hak, I'd lop off her head for the insolence first thing.
"If it's a burden on Mother... I'm fine... Kyaa...?"
"Fine my ass. Who takes in a woman with a kid?"
I lightly pulled Namgung Hye's head to my chest. Truth be told, with her looks and family, someone might well take her.
"I'm trash, sure, but not the kind to abandon a woman carrying my child. Unless you hate me for being trash, live with me."
"You said it wasn't a proposal...?"
"That was."
Namgung Hye slipped her arms lightly around my waist and said,
"You already have several wives...?"
"Six."
Count all the women I'd been with, and it was over ten. I was the real hopeless case compared to that bastard.
"Beast..."
Her words dripped with "incorrigible scum," yet her arms stayed around my waist.
"So, you hate it?"
"...No..."
"Then we're living together. You agree?"
Namgung Hye nodded silently, face buried in my chest.
"Plan changed."
"Huh?"
As Namgung Hye and even Eon So-young tilted their heads, I began explaining how to redirect the persuasion of Namgung Hak.
"...Mother."
The moment the door opened, Eon So-young led with an apology, leaving Namgung Hak speechless.
Once everyone settled, with him still at a loss for words, I spoke up.
"I imagine the Family Head was quite shocked."
"Really... really? So what I thought wasn't a delusion..."
"If you mean his relationship with the Lady, you saw correctly."
"How...!"
Namgung Hak looked horrified, then turned to Namgung Hye and slowly opened his mouth.
"Don't tell me, Hye, you already..."
"...Yes, I knew."
"What in the world is this...!"
The two women flanking me shrank back at Namgung Hak's despair.
Unable to just watch, I gave Eon So-young a subtle nod, and she hesitantly spoke.
"Hak, I'm truly sorry..."
"Why, why would you? It's only been a little over a year since Father passed. How could Mother...!"
"Yes, your father is gone from this world."
At Eon So-young's words, Namgung Hak visibly wavered.
He'd caught the meaning: in the martial world where widows were common, what was wrong with a woman taking a new partner after her husband's death?
In truth, back at Ami Mountain, Namgung Tan had likely still been alive, but I skipped that detail.
"I've found a new bond. So, Hak, can't you bless your mother...?"
"...What about Hye? I know she fancies Young Hero Kang too. If Mother does this, then Hye...!"
My take: even if Eon So-young conceded here, Namgung Hak wouldn't hand over Namgung Hye to me.
"Hye's coming too."
"Wh-what do you mean? Coming too—don't tell me...!"
As I leaned forward slightly, Namgung Hye dodged his horrified gaze and slipped behind me.
[What if it really doesn't work...?]
[It probably will.]
Anyone with normal societal norms wouldn't let their mother and sister go to one man, silver tongue or not.
"What do you mean by this? Young Hero Kang, explain. H-how could a person take both mother and daughter...!"
Namgung Hak trailed off, as if uttering it was indecent, glaring in shock.
"Such a thing has never happened in history! I absolutely won't allow it!"
"Both are carrying my children."
"...What?"
Namgung Hak froze like a clockwork toy run down. But I emphasized again.
"I said both are carrying my children."
For the record, Namgung Hak was wrong. Such cases weren't unprecedented in history.
I didn't recall exactly who, but some ancient Chinese emperor took the empress's sisters and their daughters as concubines.
I offered such useless trivia in my thoughts while sincerely praying this shock therapy worked on Namgung Hak.