Chapter 19
Chapter 19
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 19
Chapter Title: But It Actually Happened?
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But it actually happened?
-Chirp chirp
"Ugh..."
The chirping of birds in her ears.
And at the same time, the sensation of her head splitting open.
Amid it all, she let out a groan soaked in pain.
Her eyelids felt as heavy as lead.
Forcing them open, what came into view was...
An unfamiliar ceiling.
"...Ugh... Huh? What... what's this..."
Ha Yu-ra endured the throbbing pain and struggled to sit up.
Having opened her eyes with difficulty in this completely new place, she cautiously began to look around.
'Come to think of it, I remember drinking a ton yesterday until my memory cut out... but where the hell is this?'
What she saw was an utterly ordinary home.
Not too spacious, yet not cramped either, neatly tidied, and somehow infused with a cozy warmth.
Despite the unfamiliarity, a strange sense of comfort washed over her there, and Yu-ra carefully got out of bed.
That was when.
"Ah..."
Her eyes finally caught the photos hanging on the walls of the room.
The faces in them were people Yu-ra knew well.
A woman holding a newborn baby.
A mom tightly gripping the hand of her toddler just starting to walk.
A mom and daughter with cotton candy in their mouths.
And just recently, after filming Tears of the Queen Consort, Seon-hwa in hanbok, with Soo-jeong standing behind her, beaming brightly.
Looking at these photos, all perfectly capturing the theme of "mother and daughter,"
Yu-ra felt a thread of relief replace the slight anxiety she'd had moments before.
It seemed Chae Soo-jeong had brought her drunk self back to her house.
With that in mind, Yu-ra thought she should at least say hello first and headed toward the closed door.
That was when.
-"Hing... Mommy..."
-"No way. I saw you give the carrots I told you to eat yesterday to someone else."
"..."
Familiar voices from beyond the door, but with a noticeably different tone.
Out of curiosity, Yu-ra carefully cracked the door open, trying not to be noticed.
What she saw next was a mother-daughter pair sitting alone at the dining table, eating breakfast.
The mom placing side dish (carrots) onto her daughter's spoon,
and the daughter, with a bunny-like face, making a face that clearly didn't like Mom's love(?), but still grudgingly eating it.
It could be called the epitome of an ordinary family scene,
but combined with the photos from earlier, it stirred a strange loneliness in Yu-ra's heart.
What might be everyday life for some,
but for her,
for Ha Yu-ra,
she'd never experienced anything like it...
That was when.
"Oh, you're awake?"
"!... Ah... Yes."
Soo-jeong looked her way with a bright smile.
Yu-ra stepped out from behind the door, feeling a bit awkward.
"Sorry about that. I was going to take you home, but I didn't know your address, and the after-party happened to be near my place, so I brought you here."
"Ah... No, it's fine. Thank you for taking care of me like this, Senior."
Thinking back, she'd gotten blackout drunk and ended up crashing at someone else's house—no, at her senior's house.
Yu-ra started feeling belatedly embarrassed.
'Sigh... I really overdid it, caught up in the atmosphere. Gotta hold back from now on.'
For her, whose limit was just a glass of wine, two bottles of soju had been way too much.
As she resolved to be more careful going forward, that was when.
"Is Yu-ra unnie okay? Not gonna throw up anym—mmph..."
"Mmm... How's your stomach feeling? I made some dried pollock soup for the hangover, but not sure if it'll suit your taste."
"Ah... Thank... you."
Soo-jeong hurriedly covered Seon-hwa's mouth while gently offering.
It felt like some bombshell comment had just flown by, but it got buried under Soo-jeong's words.
A moment later, a bowl of dried pollock soup placed in front of Yu-ra.
Back home, the maid always made it the morning after a drink, but this one felt entirely different.
With a slight flutter in her chest, Yu-ra tentatively picked up her spoon.
Perfectly seasoned, refreshingly clear dried pollock soup, boiled just right.
But beyond the taste, with each spoonful, Yu-ra felt a warmth spreading in her heart.
"It's... delicious."
"Heehee, glad it suits you. Eat slowly so you don't upset your stomach. I made a lot, so let me know if you want more."
As she placed another carrot on Seon-hwa's spoon, Soo-jeong said with a kind smile.
Seon-hwa looked even more miserable,
but watching it, Yu-ra suddenly felt a pang of envy.
"Um... could I have a bit more broth then...?"
"Sure. One sec."
Yu-ra cautiously held out her soup bowl.
Soo-jeong ladled more broth into it from the pot in front of her.
"Here you go."
"Tha... thank you."
With the increased broth, warm steam rose gently from her bowl.
Was it because of those photos she'd seen earlier?
Or because of Soo-jeong's thoughtful care?
This dried pollock soup truly seemed infused with a mother's love.
Just like what she'd felt on set recently...
As she carefully put that mother's heart into her mouth one spoonful at a time,
Yu-ra felt something in her chest loosening, just a little.
A tiny bit.
The knot only she knew about, one she couldn't show to others...
"No way... how did things turn out like this?..."
YouTuber Oh Young-ae.
She was feeling considerable bewilderment at this utterly unexpected situation.
The past week had seen a surge in YouTube video views and comments.
Views were one thing, but the comments underneath were making her feel awkward in all sorts of ways.
It all started last week when The Queen Dowager, Sovereign of Deception surpassed 10% ratings.
She hadn't been entirely sure back then, but with high hopes, she'd said it anyway.
"If this drama does well, it'll go over 10%."
10% wasn't child's play, especially for a mid-to-small broadcaster's show—crossing that was next to impossible under normal circumstances.
But Young-ae had declared it based on some inexplicable gut feeling.
To be honest, about 60% of it was just hoping to cheer on her favorite actress Ha Yu-ra.
And yet... it actually happened.
"..."
The completely unforeseen "prophet" title she'd acquired.
At first, Young-ae was thrilled at the skyrocketing subscribers from this lucky coincidence,
but now a week later, things were heading in a weird direction.
Drama-related stuff was whatever, but suddenly people were treating her like a fortune teller with all sorts of questions.
At first, since she usually replied diligently to question comments anyway, she took them as jokes and tossed out casual responses.
Truly thoughtless, well-wishing replies tossed out casually.
But as time passed, not only did the questions not decrease—they multiplied.
"...?"
Testimonials claiming it worked, and rumors spreading in a bizarre direction.
It wasn't like she was getting paid, and the subscriber boost was definitely good,
but she couldn't shake the feeling that this wasn't right.
'...Do I have some divine power or something?'
Of course, it was probably just coincidences stacking up—nothing more.
So Young-ae ignored the fortune-teller jokes and stuck to her main gig.
"Alright, let's check it out today too. Last time, Big Brother Han-seo shocked us, so I'm really looking forward to this week."
Amid the viewers' anticipation and worries, the latest episode of The Queen Dowager, Sovereign of Deception began.
Han-seo stood with a chilling smile.
Gazing at him, the Captain of the Inner Guard asked cautiously.
"My apologies. We did our best, but we failed."
"It's fine. I didn't expect much from the start anyway. What matters is how we use this bait."
"Bait, you say...?"
The Captain of the Inner Guard voiced his doubt.
In response, Han-seo pulled something from his bosom and handed it over.
"A list of those who meddled in this affair, even a little. Most are nobodies, but since our side took a hit, the big fish who were watching will start moving now."
"!... I see. I understand."
Among beasts, some occasionally draw their own blood or make small wounds.
To lure in careless prey with the scent.
Similarly,
now that they'd taken a hit and fallen back,
the "traitors" who had been lying low would start raising their heads one by one.
"Soon, the big fish will pour into the net. Prepare thoroughly from now on for that moment."
"Understood."
Han-seo spoke with a sinister smile.
The Captain of the Inner Guard replied with a resolute voice and a smile of his own.
"By the way. I have one question."
"What is it?"
"Why did you let those guys live? The daughter of the dead Minister of War, that traitor's seed—wasn't this the chance to eliminate her?"
"!"
For a moment, the expression Han-seo had been maintaining cracked.
But soon, he hardened it again and replied in a cold voice.
"...Are you doubting my actions?"
"Pardon? Ah... No. How could I..."
"Then good. Everything I do is for this country and His Majesty. Remember that."
"Ah... Yes. Then... I'll be going."
The Captain of the Inner Guard hurriedly left, overwhelmed by the ferocious aura emanating from Han-seo.
However.
Right after the Captain left,
Han-seo, now alone, collapsed against a tree.
The menacing presence from moments ago vanished completely, and his trembling form in agony evoked a deep sense of pathos.
"Why... why this... why of all people, you..."