Chapter 69
Chapter 69
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 69
Chapter Title: Young Master, You've Finally Arrived (2)
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Finding the manor where Eon So-young lived was no trouble at all.
Even if she had moved out to live separately, as the matriarch of the Namgung Family, her home was far from small or shabby.
"How did you come to be here?"
A female warrior with a sword at her waist eyed them suspiciously.
"I'm Zhuge Mi-ryeong, and I have some acquaintance with Madam Namgung, so I've come to pay her a visit."
When Mother stepped forward to explain, the warrior looked troubled as she spoke up.
"My apologies for not recognizing you. That said, I'm terribly sorry, but Madam is ill and refusing all visitors. What shall we do?"
"Ah, I see. Truth be told, my son once received great aid from Madam Namgung, so if you could at least pass along the message..."
"...Pardon?"
"His name is Kang Yun. I'm sure she'll receive him once she hears it."
The female warrior tilted her head but sent a servant up to announce them anyway.
Thank goodness she wasn't the overly strict type trying to block everyone just because of the pregnancy.
Soon enough, we were allowed inside.
Eon So-young's heart pounded fiercely.
He had really come. To see her.
As the months passed and her belly swelled, she had convinced herself not to expect much, and before she knew it, the baby inside her had reached six months.
She was certain his passionate embraces were sincere, but she had also thought that distance might cool his affections.
Supporting her heavy belly carefully, she reminisced about their brief time together all the way to the reception hall.
From start to finish, it had been nothing but lovemaking. Like beasts in heat, merging into one another's bodies.
'He'll be happy... right?'
With every step, the shell of Namgung Matriarch peeled away, revealing the woman Eon So-young beneath.
When she finally stood before the reception hall, Eon So-young opened her trembling lips.
"...Come in."
A response came from within, inviting her to enter, and the door slowly opened.
There he was—her beloved, whom she hadn't seen in months.
The man smiled softly as he spoke.
"It's been a long time, Madam Namgung."
[I'm here, So-young. I promised I'd come before our baby was born, didn't I?]
His transmission voice was laced with joy and excitement, utterly at odds with his polite demeanor. Eon So-young smiled faintly.
"Indeed it has, Young Hero."
[My Lord... you've finally... come...]
Even through her tear-blurred vision, she could see his face lighting up even brighter.
Eon So-young dismissed all the maids. Convinced it was a conversation they weren't meant to hear, they promptly cleared the reception hall.
"It's been a while, Lady Zhuge."
"I hope you've been well, Madam Namgung?"
The two women weren't particularly close. They had simply crossed paths in their youth, being of similar age and standing.
Which was why Eon So-young hadn't expected to receive her in such a state, but she trusted Kang Yun would explain and turned her gaze aside.
"Well, you see..."
Kang Yun spoke up with an awkward expression.
"Lady Zhuge and her husband, Great Hero Go Cheon, have agreed to become my foster parents."
It was astonishing. She had no idea how it had come to pass, but for the disciple of the world's greatest fiend to become the foster son of a righteous hero?
[So-young, sorry, but please don't mention Master to Mother. I just said he was some hidden recluse who passed away.]
That made sense once she heard the transmission. She wondered how he'd handled the Blood Demon side of things but listened patiently.
"And also..."
"Madam, I've heard about your relationship with my son."
Eon So-young was taken aback. Even as a foster mother, she hadn't expected her to reveal that kind of relationship outright.
A bond she couldn't proudly declare to the world.
But Zhuge Mi-ryeong's next words left Eon So-young reeling through surprise, confusion, and relief in quick succession.
"No need to worry. I'm in the same boat."
The same boat?
'With the foster mother?'
When she glanced back at Kang Yun, his eyes were darting evasively through the air.
"My Lord."
Zhuge Mi-ryeong's eyes gleamed with intrigue beside the startled Kang Yun, but...
"It seems we have more to discuss."
Eon So-young decided to hear the full story from her young husband first.
"Truth be told, I ended up pretending to be Mother's son due to certain circumstances..."
"I met Lady Tang Hye-won of the Tang Family, and..."
"With Lady Peng Yeon-hwa, it was during my martial arts training... no... yes, that's right, I used circulation exercises as bait..."
It was a process they had to go through eventually. Confessing the truth.
She had braced for some discomfort, but it was still tough.
Eon So-young's once warm gaze turned stern as an immovable guardian deity, seemingly scoring every word I said.
Mother listened from the side and jumped in with fact-checks whenever she sensed any distortion.
No way—had Peng Yeon-hwa spilled every little detail to Mother?
"...That's everything."
"Hmm..."
Eon So-young tapped the table with her finger. Stop the psychological pressure!
"My Lord."
"Yes."
I tensed up rigidly.
"I was worried you might not keep your promise. To come before the baby was born."
The promise had been kept, but I stayed silent and listened.
"As our child grew bigger by the day, I thought every single day about how to raise them happily."
"Sometimes you were in those imaginings, and sometimes you weren't."
"But you came in the end, and I'm so thrilled and glad..."
Eon So-young's gaze swept over Zhuge Mi-ryeong.
"...so what am I supposed to make of you showing up with another woman?"
My knees shook. Her eyes blazed like a forest fire, while my limbs felt like ice.
On the other hand, it was a relief. Better her anger than the utter despair I'd seen in Tang Hye-won. Probably for the baby's sake, prenatal care and all.
As expected from the lady of a great clan—unyielding steel beneath that softness...
Tap.
The tapping stopped, and my tension peaked.
"I'm happy."
"...Pardon?"
Ignoring my dumbfounded tone, Eon So-young spoke softly.
"I had a feeling it would be like this. That you'd go for any pretty girl you saw."
"..."
"It'd be weird to cry foul when the problem I foresaw actually happens, especially if I didn't prepare for it."
My tensed body began to relax, anticipation filling my chest.
"Congratulations. At least you won't have to hear 'I never want to see you again' over this."
"So-young..."
"But."
Just as the urge to embrace her swelling in my heart felt like a warm spring breeze...
A cold snap hit.
"I can't just forgive you outright."
"Pardon...?"
A stern verdict fell from Eon So-young's icy expression.
"No emissions while you're here. Absolute prohibition. With me or Lady Zhuge."
Mother, who had been grinning beside me, froze solid.
"If you can't stand it, just leave immediately. It wouldn't be hard, right?"
Thanking her and bolting would probably lead to 'Oh, who might you be?' next time we met.
"H-How can I earn forgiveness...!"
"Who knows? This is my first time dealing with something like this, so I'm not sure."
Figure it out yourself, she seemed to say. Amid her blizzard-like demeanor, I couldn't even find words.
"Um, then..."
Eon So-young nodded as if to say, go on.
"...could I at least say hi to our baby...?"
She stared into my eyes for a moment, then nodded once more.
I shuffled over hesitantly and knelt before Eon So-young, touching her belly.
"Hi...? Baby, it's Daddy. This is our first meeting... right?"
I felt the round swell of her belly. I wanted to touch it directly, but slipping a hand under her clothes would earn instant condemnation.
"Sorry I came so late. Mommy's really mad right now... you might be startled, but don't worry too much."
"..."
"It's Daddy's fault I'm getting scolded, so don't you fret... eat lots and grow up big and strong?"
I planted a kiss on her belly, and Eon So-young bolted upright in horror.
"No, what are you—! ...Never mind. I'll be going now. I'll have the maids prepare a room, so follow them."
Clutching her uncomfortable belly, Eon So-young fled like she was escaping.
Left alone in the reception hall with just the two of us, I exchanged hollow glances with Mother.
"...Son, maybe we should focus on rigorous martial arts training while we're here?"
What else was there to do? Might as well train hard in preparation for the Nine Dragons Contest.
Keep apologizing to Eon So-young, and her heart would soften eventually.
Eon So-young's heart raced for an entirely different reason now.
She had expected crushing betrayal, but surprisingly, it was bearable. Was it because he was the disciple of a lecher, and she'd foreseen something like this?
Still, keeping not just her but other women by his side was astonishing.
Lusters like that didn't obsess over women they'd already had. Then again, had Kang Yun ever acted like a typical lecher?
Jealousy stirred within her too. Unlike her own body, bloated and out of shape from the pregnancy, Zhuge Mi-ryeong was stunningly flawless.
'I can't keep forgiving him every time...!'
From the moment she'd realized she couldn't live without that man, forgiveness had been inevitable.
But among Tang Hye-won, Peng Yeon-hwa, and Zhuge Mi-ryeong, only Peng Yeon-hwa had truly gotten angry—and even that had blown over in a day.
If he kept adding women like a horse with loosened reins...
'It's Daddy's fault I'm getting scolded, so don't you fret... eat lots and grow up big and strong?'
Eon So-young shook her head vigorously. No forgiving. Absolutely not.
'I have to punish him harshly for a while at least. If he thinks he can just show up and be forgiven, he's mistaken.'
Forcing away the image of him whispering warmly to the baby in her womb, Eon So-young steeled her heart like a stern judge.