Chapter 22
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 22
Chapter Title: It Wasn't Because I Wanted To (5)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Before Marren and Kim Geon-ho met in the bathhouse.
"I thought you had something to show. I thought you possessed qualities befitting a successor."
"Yes?"
Baren, summoned to the family head's office, responded to his father's words with surprise.
'Wasn't he calling me to chew me out?'
He was sure he'd be punished for committing an irreversible mistake and stirring up trouble he couldn't handle.
But completely different words came out, leaving Baren confused. Regardless, Family Head Radwell Mayribel's words continued uninterrupted.
"If you'd been suitable, I was prepared to shoulder full responsibility for any sacrifices. If you'd only had the qualifications, truly..."
"What do you...?"
"You're more lowly than anyone and utterly lacking in ability. You have no aptitude to be family head."
At Baren's retort, Radwell looked down at his son with eyes full of pity.
He'd wanted to believe in him, wanted to see how far those wings could carry him even if it meant excessive sacrifices. But had even that desire to watch been greed?
The horrific outcome laid bare before him stamped his son as talentless and delivered the killing blow.
'What a shame.'
Radwell felt regret that his beloved children had to fight over a single position.
'I never thought a simple, harmonious family meal would be such an impossible dream.'
Rather than let the situation deteriorate further, Radwell decided to uproot the seed of discord entirely.
"Don't even dream of succession. This incident has all but sealed the position for your sister."
"Ah, no, how can you just—that easily! You didn't give me a real chance! And now this out of nowhere!"
"I did give you a chance. Despite Persis being there, handing over partial black market management authority was your first opportunity."
As he spoke, Radwell tossed the damage report from the incident in front of Baren, who knelt on the floor protesting his innocence.
"Seeing your command and judgment when monsters emerged from the dungeon collapse—that was your second."
"Wi...without a word..."
"Opportunities never come announced. If you're ready, you seize them. If not, it ends like this."
"..."
Baren barely steadied his trembling body and read the report.
Insurance payouts for black market damages alone ran into the tens of billions, and rebuilding the destroyed areas would take months.
On top of that, compensation for the black market shutdown.
Naturally, Baren lacked the power to shoulder and resolve it all alone.
"If you'd been qualified, you'd have slain the monster and quelled the chaos... but you only bring harm to the family."
As he delivered the harsh reality, Radwell grieved at having to drive a spike into his son's heart.
"...What exactly do I lack compared to sis? Marren—no, sister... she didn't do anything. She just holed up at home without lifting a finger!"
Since the spilled water couldn't be gathered anyway, Baren at least wanted to know why.
Radwell answered obligingly.
"The obsession and drive to fixate on what you want—to see nothing else. That's what your sister has."
Get out now that you've heard.
At the blatant dismissal, Baren swallowed his hollow despair and left the office.
"Huh? Oh, it's Baren."
Perfectly timed, Marren happened to pass by right in front.
"Ma—Marren... no, sis..."
He wouldn't normally call her sis, but right outside the family head's office, Baren hastily switched.
"Seen Geon-ho by any chance? I heard he's at our house..."
Ignoring titles entirely, Marren cut straight to what she wanted. But at the name Geon-ho, Baren lost it and vented his pent-up resentment.
"Wh-what? You're buddies with that bastard? Then you two plotted this whole thing...?"
"What?"
"I knew it was fishy. How could it go down that easy... no, just bam, he shows up out of nowhere, takes down the monster... no way that's coincidence. You set it up...?"
A chill ran down his spine!
Mid-sentence, Baren sucked in a sharp breath at the overwhelming killing intent. Terror he'd never felt before crawled up his neck, numbing his spine.
Marren stared at him with icy eyes and emotionless pupils, her displeasure plain as day.
"Hic...!"
A frightened man's options were limited: stuttering incoherently, legs giving out and collapsing.
Both hit Baren at once. He looked up at this transformed Marren in terror.
"You and Geon-ho close? Calling him so casually. If you're closer to him than I am, that's a problem... Baren, you close with Geon-ho? Answer me."
So the anger wasn't over calling her friend a bastard? What did "closer being a problem" mean? Why ask about closeness now?
Unable to fathom it, Baren desperately shook his head in denial.
"N-no, not close... really not... first time seeing him today... first I'd heard the name, I swear, believe me."
Whoosh—!
The frozen tension thawed the instant he denied it.
The figure who'd seemed unlike his sister moments ago reverted to the familiar one, beaming her usual ditzy smile.
"Right? Of course. Geon-ho's gotta be closest to me. Guys get all buddy-buddy calling each other 'bastard' and stuff, so I got worried. Sorry for doubting you."
But why'd you suddenly flop over? Hurt somewhere?
His father's words auto-replayed in Baren's head.
—The obsession and drive to fixate on what you want—to see nothing else. That's what your sister has.
An obsession that shoved aside any ordeal or situation to focus on one thing alone.
A ruthless, unhesitating coldness that unleashed killing intent even on kin to seize her desire.
Gulp.
For the first time, Baren felt the gulf between them.
Not just looking up—it was an absolute chasm that could never close.
Like staring vainly at an endless cliff, the sensation wrapped his body and froze his thoughts.
"Lucky my suspicion ends with an apology. Try not to get too chummy."
Oblivious, Marren carried on airily, humming a tune that clashed with the chill—a mix of relief that Kim Geon-ho had no one closer than her and excitement at seeing him.
"Where's Geon-ho, I wonder."
If that's the quality Father meant for family head, I'll never measure up.
'No matter how I struggle, what's innately set in stone can't be changed.'
Baren shuddered, the razor-sharp reality slicing into his flesh.
His sister was too—way too terrifying.
Inside the bathhouse.
Squish... squish...
"Aaang... You're touching so blatantly."
"You told me to touch, you crazy bitch."
"Even harsh words like that are for close friends, right? I love it."
The same Marren who'd unleashed killing intent on her own blood was now nestled in Kim Geon-ho's arms, coquettishly playing up to him.
'See? Geon-ho's closest to me, after all.'
Baren calling him "bastard" had worried her, but thankfully, nothing came of it.
Whew. Imagining someone closer to Geon-ho than her was unthinkable sorrow.
"But how'd you even get here?"
"To find my partner, obviously. Partners should get along and know each other well, right?"
"Who said that?"
"Just... from a book?"
You're truly insane.
Marren just giggled softly in response. Even casual chit-chat like this was for close ones—a great sign.
Besides, rubbing naked bodies right now was part of bonding, filling Marren with peak bliss already.
"But how'd you come to our house without a word?"
"Incident pulled me here, and it turned out to be yours."
Coincidence.
At Kim Geon-ho's clear line—no misunderstandings—Marren smirked slyly and slid her hand slowly toward his lower half.
Splash... splash...
She wriggled enough to churn the water noisily, then gently grasped what she wanted and spoke.
"So this change right now—it's coincidence too? Just me overthinking?"
"...Well, not quite."
"I've been waiting for this. Close friends invite each other over and hang out, right?"
Kim Geon-ho wanted to retort that "close friends" don't typically grind naked in a bathhouse cross-sex.
But overriding reason was the urge to soothe his boiling body fast.
Post-battle with the Hungry Mouth, his aroused nerves and youthful vigor still burned hot.
"...I wanna get even closer to you right now, Geon-ho. That okay?"
"If I say no, you gonna play nice and leave?"
"No... haa... ah... aang..."
Squelch.
Blub.
Mid-sentence, Marren gripped his groin firmly and guided him slowly into her folds.
In the water, a few air bubbles lewdly bobbed to the surface.
"...Putting it in first so it doesn't slip out."
We need to deepen our bonding, right Geon-ho?
Marren's eyes gleamed faintly red as she said it.