A Quiet Farewell
As the inner courtyard of the Jegal Family Manor was where the direct descendants resided, tight security and constant vigilance were only natural.
This was especially true for the Jamidang, the residence of Lady Hang.
But at this very moment...
A heavy silence hung over the Jamidang.
Not a single soul could be seen.
Or rather, if one were to look just a bit lower than usual, they would have found them.
Numerous gate guards and maidservants lay collapsed on the ground, buried face-down as if fast asleep.
And the one responsible for this scene...
“……”
Jeok-un stood frozen like a stone statue in front of the doors to the Jamidang, his expression grave.
It was not because he had been injured in a fight with the guards.
The confrontation had ended so quickly that they had collapsed without even realizing what had hit them.
What troubled Jeok-un so deeply...
...was his mother, who was just beyond those doors.
...Is it right to say goodbye before I leave?
Would it be better to slip away in silence to spare her the worry?
Jeok-un had already decided on his path in life, and he was about to embark on his journey.
He had come to the Jamidang to bid her a final farewell before setting off, but he could not bring himself to knock.
What if she worries that I've fallen into demonic ways because I decapitated Jegal Wi-yeon...?
That was his greatest fear.
She was a mother who had cherished him deeply.
A woman who had given him nothing but pure, unconditional love his entire life.
And yet, in his past life...
How deeply had she suffered before dying at Jegal Wi-yeon's hands? How much bitter resentment had been engraved on her soul?
That tragedy had become an indelible scar on his own heart, causing him to wander in despair for a long time.
It was only natural that his swift execution of Jegal Wi-yeon was a reaction to those past memories.
And that is why... I am all the more afraid.
The events of his past life were known to him alone.
In this life, he was not being cast out of the family; he was leaving of his own accord.
The schemes and conspiracies plotted by Jegal Wi-yeon and his mother had either been prevented or their consequences minimized.
So, perhaps his mother would not understand his actions.
Perhaps she would be disappointed in him, or even fear him.
That is what I fear.
As Jeok-un hesitated at the threshold, a voice drifted from inside.
“Now that you are here, why don't you come inside?”
“……!”
It was his mother's voice.
It was gentle and kind, just as it had always been.
It carried the warmth of a mother's embrace, vast and accepting like the sea.
Creak.
Jeok-un summoned his courage, pushed the door open, and stepped inside.
“……Mother.”
Jeok-un suppressed the emotions welling up inside him and barely managed to speak.
However, whether Lady Hang knew what was in his heart or not, she calmly and casually took some snacks out of a lacquer box.
They were sweet pastries—the very snacks he used to beg for, clinging to her skirts when he was a child.
“Eat up. You've always loved these sweets.”
“Thank…… you.”
“There is no need for thanks between us.”
Lady Hang watched her son eat with warm eyes. She praised him for eating so neatly, without dropping a single crumb.
“You still treat me like a child, Mother.”
“To a mother, even a seventy-year-old man looks like a child.”
Her gentle demeanor slowly melted Jeok-un's tension.
By the time he finished the plate of sweets, the atmosphere between them had softened completely.
“By then, won't you adore your grandchildren more than your son?”
“Oh? Has my son taken a liking to a young lady?”
The sudden mention of marriage caught Jeok-un off guard, causing him to choke. He only calmed down after drinking a full cup of tea.
“So, what brings my son to his mother's room so late at night?”
“Well……”
Jeok-un swallowed hard, then spoke with a voice full of resolve.
“I have completely cured my heavenly affliction.”
“Really? Is that truly the case?”
“Yes, Mother.”
It was a heavenly curse he had carried since birth.
Hearing that the divine punishment—which had caused him daily pain and suffering, and which no medicine could cure—was finally gone, Lady Hang rejoiced from the bottom of her heart.
“What a relief. What a blessing.”
“And so…… I intend to leave your side now and venture out into the world.”
Jeok-un finished speaking. He expected his mother to be deeply shocked, but Lady Hang's reaction was entirely different.
“……I see. Indeed, blood cannot be denied.”
She smiled bitterly, as if she had always known this day would come.
Her reaction caught Jeok-un off guard instead.
“I am sorry.”
“……Pardon?”
“I thought I was protecting you by keeping you out of danger…… but it seems this mother of yours was only blocking her son's path.”
“No, that's not true. Mother, you……”
As Jeok-un tried to protest, Lady Hang took his hands in hers and squeezed them tightly.
“I kept treating you like a child. But looking at you now, my Un-ah has grown into such a fine, upstanding man.”
She was proud of the man he had become, yet saddened by his departure.
Faced with her complex, indescribable emotions, Jeok-un could not find the words to speak.
In his mind and heart...
...countless sentences formed and faded, but not a single one escaped his lips.
“……I should have told you sooner.”
“No. How difficult it must have been for you to handle all of this on your own. I am sorry I could not be of any help to you.”
Lady Hang gently caressed his hands as if to comfort him.
“May I ask one favor of you, though?”
“I am listening.”
“I hope you do not hate your father too much.”
She likely said this out of concern for the sorrow he had endured as a concubine's son.
But Jeok-un harbored no lingering regrets or resentment toward anyone other than Jegal Wi-yeon and his mother.
Even if he had, he had already cast them all aside.
“A man who protects the world is bound to be busy. And it was that side of your father that I loved.”
“I will keep that in mind.”
Perhaps satisfied with his sincere response, Lady Hang gazed at her son for a long moment before pulling him into a gentle embrace.
“Please, do not get hurt, and stay healthy. And do not cause any more trouble like this.”
Jeok-un parted his lips to speak, but closed them again.
When his mother finally released him...
“I won't get hurt,” he said with a bright smile.
“But since you consider this a mere 'trouble,' I will make sure to send you some Gongjindan pills from time to time.”
To ease her worries, Lady Hang simply offered a soft, quiet smile in response.
A bed large enough to fit three or four people.
A single man lay upon it.
Though he possessed a noble stature, his gaunt and frail frame evoked immediate pity. His name was Jegal Jun, the eldest son and rightful heir of the Jegal Family.
Hmm...?
Jegal Jun suddenly woke from his slumber.
It was due to a sudden draft of cold air.
What is this? Did someone open the window?
Upon checking, he saw that the window was indeed open.
Though puzzled, Jegal Jun began to sit up to close it.
Just as he had raised himself halfway off the bed...
“You do not need to get up.”
An unexpected voice echoed in the room.
It was his brother's voice.
“Jeok-un?”
“Yes, Brother.”
Turning around, he saw Jegal Jeok-un smiling at him.
This was the brother who had visited him in the dead of night without anyone knowing—the very person who had caused a bloodbath by slaying Jegal Wi-yeon earlier that day.
Under normal circumstances, anyone would have shrunk back in fear, especially someone bedridden with illness.
Yet, Jegal Jun showed no sign of hesitation.
He was absolutely certain that Jeok-un was his brother and had no reason to harm him.
“What brings you here at this hour?”
“I came to see you one last time, Brother.”
“One last time? What do you mean by that?”
Jegal Jun asked, startled. He owed his life to Jeok-un.
Whether by human decency or the bonds of family, he felt a duty to repay him, and he fully intended to carry that burden.
“Are you…… leaving?”
“Yes.”
Jegal Jun was so taken aback by the sudden announcement of his departure that he was temporarily lost for words.
“What do you mean? To leave so suddenly……”
“I have blood on my hands. The world will point fingers and criticize our family without looking into the details. It is better for me to leave.”
This was merely an excuse Jeok-un had fabricated.
If the Jegal Family put their full effort into it, erasing a single unsavory rumor would be child's play.
However, Jeok-un saw no need for them to do so, which was why he chose this opportunity to declare his departure.
“No, you do not have to do that. Even if I must kneel before the elders of the family, I will prove your innocence……”
Jegal Jun tried to change Jeok-un's mind, but Jeok-un firmly refused his help.
His half-brother's offer stemmed from goodwill, but it was not what Jeok-un needed.
“Sigh…… I am sorry. I am truly sorry……”
Tears welled in Jegal Jun's eyes as he apologized.
Whether it was because Jeok-un had stained his hands with blood and taken on infamy for his sake, or because Jegal Wi-yeon had previously plotted against Jeok-un and his mother...
Even though he had been bedridden, these were matters he should have taken responsibility for as the eldest son. Thus, Jegal Jun swallowed his pride and apologized.
“I am truly fine, Brother. I am confident I can survive even outside the family.”
“But the ways of the world are harsh……”
“Do not worry. Even if I leave, I must return from time to time. The aftereffects of the Black Lotus Poison are quite stubborn.”
The Black Lotus Poison was notoriously insidious. Even if the primary toxin had been extracted, it did not mean Jegal Jun would recover instantly.
Thus, Jeok-un planned to visit the family at least once a year to check on Jegal Jun's condition and look after his mother.
“I am glad to hear you are not leaving for good.”
“Even if you tell me not to come, I will.”
“Haha, this is your home. It is only natural for you to visit.”
Jeok-un smiled softly at Jegal Jun's heartfelt words.
But the warmth was fleeting.
“So, please, I ask that you look after my mother.”
“Of course. Your mother is my mother as well.”
“I am not saying this out of mere anxiety. Someone might try to target my mother to get to me.”
“……!”
The moment Jeok-un finished speaking, a heavy, suffocating pressure filled the room.
It was not bloodlust. Rather, it was a sheer, overwhelming presence.
Jeok-un had not released any killing intent, nor had he made a crude threat. He spoke with the same polite, respectful tone as before.
“Because if that happens…… I think I might get a little angry.”
That colossal presence took physical form, pressing down on Jegal Jun.
A chilling wind swept through Jegal Jun's mind.
Though framed as a request, it carried an unmistakable warning.
If he failed to protect Jeok-un's mother...
Or if anyone dared to lay a hand on her...
...the price they would pay would be catastrophic.
Yet, despite the crushing pressure...
“Do not worry, Jeok-un. Such a thing will never happen.”
Jegal Jun did not waver, even after hearing his brother's chilling warning.
He maintained his dignity and remained gentle toward Jeok-un.
...He is a child who was almost killed by his own flesh and blood, Wi-yeon. It is only natural that he would be on guard, even against me.
If anything, Jegal Jun looked at Jeok-un with pity, understanding why he had to act this way.
“Not a single hair on your mother's head will be harmed. I swear it on my life.”
Grin.
Upon hearing his half-brother's firm promise, Jeok-un smiled brightly, the heavy pressure vanishing as if it had never existed.
“Yes. Then I shall leave it in your hands, Brother.”
“Of course.”
“I will take my leave now.”
“……Jeok-un, please take care of yourself.”
“Haha, do not worry.”
Jeok-un bowed politely and vanished into the darkness.
His movements were like a shadow, a mirage, leaving Jegal Jun unable to sense even a trace of his presence.
To think Jeok-un has achieved such martial prowess...
Just as Jegal Jun was marveling at Jeok-un's growth...
“Intruder! An intruder!”
The shout of a gate guard rang out, echoing loudly through the manor.
Following the sound of frantic, rushing footsteps, a shocking cry shattered the silence of the night.
“Lady Oh has been murdered!”