Chapter 93
Chapter 93
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 93
Chapter Title: Exposed to the Twin Little Sister Who Learned the Truth (5)
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I knew it would happen someday. Whether Juyeon-hee pieced it together herself or Aunt spilled the truth on her own. I figured it would play out like one of those classic NTR manga developments.
'But not today.'
More precisely, this morning. Right after sending me outside, Aunt set everything in motion. She'd clearly planned it all along.
It was so ridiculous I was speechless.
I didn't ask why. I already knew the reason Aunt had finally gone through with it.
'To screw over Juyeon-hee. What's the point in asking?'
Aunt and Juyeon-hee had never gotten along from the start. I'd felt the tension firsthand during the month we'd all lived together.
With our relationship finally improving, she saw her chance to torment the girl she'd always viewed poorly—and dropped a bombshell.
A bombshell Juyeon-hee had no way to counter.
What was I supposed to say? Praise her for doing a good job? Or act horrified and blow up at her?
Aunt was watching me. Her gaze was steady, waiting to see how I'd react.
First things first—I'd worry about Juyeon-hee. That was more my style.
"…What did Yeon-hee say?"
"She had this look like she couldn't believe it. So I showed her. The paternity test results. You know, the same ones I showed you, Yeon-woo."
Seeing is believing. Those stark words of truth printed on the page must have hit Juyeon-hee like a sledgehammer to the back of the head.
'And she must have realized it right away.'
Why Aunt had revealed the truth.
Aunt had deliberately let her catch us in the act. If Juyeon-hee hadn't come out of her room, Aunt probably would have kept moaning all the way to the finish, just to pull her in.
'Play dumb? Or act like I know?'
Juyeon-hee likes her oppa. Considering what she'd done to me, it went way beyond normal sibling affection.
A twisted love, warped beyond recognition. She hadn't crossed the line yet, but it was only a matter of time.
Did I know how Juyeon-hee felt? Could I pretend to know?
Or should I act oblivious? Even if I knew, just let it slide like I didn't?
My head was spinning. Given her character archetype, even if I knew about her feelings, I wouldn't blame her. I'd comfort her, if anything.
'You don't push someone who's already suicidal.'
One wrong move, and things could spiral into dangerous territory. I didn't care if she jumped me, but…
With Juyeon-hee, I'd just say thanks and let her have her way.
"Why on earth did you do that? I did it all for the family…."
I shot Aunt a disappointed look. Our deal was to keep the family as it was. What she'd done violated that agreement.
So I had to pin the blame squarely on her.
Aunt faced my heartfelt performance. From her expression, she seemed to buy it. She waved her hands frantically and started making excuses.
"…Just because we don't share blood doesn't make us not family anymore. You're still my family, Yeon-woo. And so is Yeon-hee."
"Yeon-hee won't see it that way. She's gotta be hurt."
"……."
Aunt fell silent for a moment. I had no idea what was going through her head.
"…What does Yeon-hee have to be hurt about?"
"Huh?"
"She's all grown up."
Whether I was disappointed or not, Aunt brazenly pressed on.
"I don't think it's something she can't understand. She might have even suspected it."
"…No way."
Juyeon-hee had no idea Aunt and I weren't related by blood. It hadn't even crossed her mind.
I hadn't known either, until Aunt showed me the paternity test. Who would even suspect something like that?
That their own mother would do something so inhuman. Who could even imagine it?
"I just thought it was time to come clean. About your relationship with me…."
She'd revealed it first, before Juyeon-hee could figure it out on her own. Better to strike first. That was her logic.
For normal twins, she might have had a point. For ordinary siblings who just squabbled and made up.
'But not Yeon-hee.'
Juyeon-hee likes me. Enough to get me drunk and try for some naughty skinship. Her feelings had reached a dangerous level, blurring lines she shouldn't cross.
And Aunt showed her that? It was like driving the final nail in.
Perfect for an NTR manga arc, though.
'No clue how to react.'
To avoid losing control to the story's momentum, I had to infer as much as possible from the title and play along.
'…For now, play dumb.'
No need to advertise that I knew how Juyeon-hee felt. If I didn't say anything, no one would know.
My approach was set. Now, how to handle Juyeon-hee, who'd run off.
Should I go console her right away? Give her space until tomorrow? Pretend nothing happened?
My mind was a mess.
"Yeon-woo, are you disappointed?"
Aunt whispered to me. Her voice trembled slightly.
She'd gone through with it out of spite for prickly Juyeon-hee, but it felt like she hadn't thought about the aftermath.
"…Aunt, that was too much."
I naturally scolded her. Aunt didn't argue back, just clamped her mouth shut.
Was she humbly accepting my harsh words?
I glanced at her face. It was dim, but I could see her eyes.
Not quite. She looked full of resentment.
But she was holding it in, not wanting to upset me further.
"You could've just told her we're not family…. Why, why…."
Why not cast the barrier? Why let Juyeon-hee see it all?
That was the point to press from my position.
Aunt hesitated before speaking.
"…You never know when she'll find out. So I figured I'd get ahead of it…."
"That's a lie. You can cast a barrier yourself—there's no way Yeon-hee would've noticed."
Aunt was the real deal. A hero far stronger than Eum Ji-hye. No way she'd get caught by Juyeon-hee.
Aunt glanced at me cautiously. Her lips twitched like she wanted to say something.
"…Can I be honest?"
"About what?"
"…Why I did that to Yeon-hee."
"……."
I nodded for her to go on. Aunt launched into her excuses—not quite excuses, but close enough.
"…I'm an adult, right? Why would an adult do something like that?"
She'd shown Juyeon-hee the truth for a pettier reason than I'd imagined. That's what Aunt confessed.
I'd suspected as much, but hearing it straight from her felt different.
"I am an adult. But before that, I'm a woman."
She ground her teeth, her hostility plain as day.
I could guess who she was thinking of. Aunt got furious just thinking about Juyeon-hee.
"The way Yeon-hee looks at you isn't normal. And the way she looks at me neither. That's not how you look at a relative."
It must have felt even sharper from her perspective. Aunt vented her grievances like she was exposing Juyeon-hee.
"I'm human too. Being an adult doesn't mean I can control every emotion. I worked really hard raising you two. After losing your parents so young… I tried not to let you lack for anything compared to others…."
"……."
"But the older she got, the weirder her looks became. Not with you—but especially toward me."
Juyeon-hee loves her twin oppa, Juyeon-woo—not as a brother, but as a man. Looking back with that in mind, her gazes made sense.
"It pisses me off. You understand how hard and lonely it's been for me, and you even try to give back. But why her? She's so selfish."
I couldn't deny it. I knew Juyeon-hee saw Aunt as an enemy.
My sense of masculinity was fully aligned with Aunt.
If my brother or sister had been cuckolded, died thinking a cuckoo's chick was their own, and that chick I'd raised by sucking me dry glared at me rebelliously—I'd act just like Aunt.
I couldn't scold her. Nor could I say anything about Juyeon-hee.
I had one choice: shut up and listen.
"Yeon-woo."
Aunt's hand caressed my cheek. Her eyes were pure, looking at her nephew with no trace of lust, locking gazes with me.
"I don't have any family either. After Oppa died like that, you're all I have left."
"……."
"Do you think I want to lose my family? I want to keep ours together as long as possible. Live with you all. It's a bit embarrassing and selfish, but if you're okay with it… until you meet a nice girl and get married…."
"……."
"I'm sorry. To you, especially… I felt like I'd go crazy if I didn't do this, so that's why I said it. Even if you look at me like that, I have nothing to say."
With that, Aunt threw herself into my arms. Burying her face in her nephew's chest, she mumbled on.
"But don't hate me too much…."
"……."
I didn't answer. My silence conveyed my complicated feelings well enough.