Chapter 61
Chapter 61
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 61
Chapter Title: Fake
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"Wait... Could you be... Cheon-seong?"
At Ryu-on's question, everyone's gazes in the conference hall turned toward me and her.
'That name shouldn't come up in the Demonic Cult... Does she know me?'
Quite flustered, I closely examined Ryu-on's appearance.
'But she's a complete stranger to me.'
And it seemed Ryu-on, who had called my name, was no different.
She knew my name but didn't seem certain I was the real Seol Cheon-seong.
For now, better to deny it.
"I don't know who this Cheon-seong is, but you must have mistaken me for someone else. I'm not Cheon-seong—my name is Seol."
As I smiled and gave my fake name, Ryu-on's clear blue eyes widened once more.
"Seol... You mean the new aide who just joined?"
'Ryu-on knows my fake name too.'
Suddenly, I recalled Gwang-yu's words that lately, no one in the Demonic Cult was unaware of my rumors.
'...How famous have I become here?'
All I wanted was to live quietly in the Demonic Cult, find a cure for Daddy's mental fragility, heal him as if nothing had happened, and live happily ever after!
But it seemed my presence in the Demonic Cult had grown bigger than I'd thought.
'Even elders, whom ordinary cultists might never meet, know my fake name! And this person even knows my real one...'
Moreover, I'd thought she looked somewhat like me from the start, but up close, she resembled Mom a lot.
Mom had been poisoned when I was just a baby.
'So I don't remember her face, but I've seen her portrait.'
I'd first found Mom's portrait in Daddy's office.
"Daddy, who's this? Her eyes and hair color are just like mine!"
"Right? She looks a lot like you, Star."
Daddy had stroked the portrait on his desk with careful, cherishing hands, his eyes full of longing as he asked me.
"Yeah, and she's so pretty!"
I nodded, unable to tear my eyes from the portrait, and Daddy gently sat me on his knee.
"This is a portrait of your mom, Star."
"Star's mom?"
"Yes."
'That's when I understood why Daddy was looking at the portrait with such a sad face.'
"Really? Our mom is super pretty!"
"Actually, your mom was several times more beautiful than this portrait. Paper and brush couldn't capture her fully."
"Daddy, do you miss Mom?"
Looking into Daddy's eyes, which seemed like they were crying, my young heart felt heavy, so I'd asked that.
Instead of answering, Daddy flashed a bright smile and hugged me tight.
"Our little Star takes after her mom so much. So lovable and brave."
I had many questions but didn't ask more.
'That radiant smile looked sadder and more fragile than any other expression.'
After that, whenever pretty flowers bloomed or snow fell—something Mom liked—Daddy would unfailingly keep the portrait nearby.
'As if showing those scenes to Mom.'
So I remember clearly.
The face of the mother who gave birth to me.
But even if the hair and eye color match, could the features be this similar?
And she knew my name too.
Someone who looks like Mom and knows about me...
"Yes, that's right. New aide Seol, greeting Elder Ryu-on."
My doubts lasted only a moment as I bowed to Ryu-on.
"I see. Well, even with the blood of those sly foxes running through his veins, he's not the type to put his own child in danger... If he did, he'd die by my hand first."
Ryu-on muttered to herself with sudden killing intent, then instantly regained her clear smile as if nothing had happened.
"Oh, my apologies. I let some ill-omened fool cross my mind."
'Did she just say in her mutter that she'd kill someone?'
It couldn't be me, right?
She'd seen through my identity from the start, after all.
Could she be a spy from the Tang Clan of Sichuan?
As all sorts of thoughts raced through my mind, Ryu-on continued.
"I've heard a lot about you from my children, Aide Seol."
"Elder Ryu-on's children?"
'Who could those kids be?'
As I made a face showing complete ignorance, Ryu-on clapped her delicate, jade-like hands as if she'd forgotten.
"Ah, right. You've only recently joined the Demonic Cult, so you wouldn't know. Chae-chae and Jang-ryu—those are my sons!"
"What? Chae-chae and Jang-ryu...!"
Only after blurting it out did I remember Gwang-yu mentioning the twins' parents. I'd thought since even Elder Gwang-yu remembered, they weren't ordinary—but to think it was Ryu-on.
'And those two don't resemble Mom at all!'
"Ah, yes! I see. If I'd known, I would've greeted you sooner... I've received a lot of help from brothers Chae-chae and Jang-ryu."
"No, no. If anything, my children are the ones benefiting from your good influence, Aide Seol. They've grown up just the two of them since childhood and never made other social connections, so I was quite worried. I'm so relieved you're here."
'What? The twins lacking social skills? That's nonsense. They approached me first, after all.'
But come to think of it, I hadn't seen them hanging out with other peers besides me.
Well, they'd come to me, but I'd never gone to where they were, so maybe it was natural?
I couldn't fully agree with Ryu-on's words, but her expression toward me conveyed her sincerity.
"So, I was wondering... Could you tell me who you're living with right now, Aide Seol?"
"People I live with?"
'Why ask that all of a sudden?'
I didn't want to think this of the twins' mother, but was she really in league with the Tang Clan of Sichuan?
Sudden background check—the question felt suspicious.
Since no one knew about my current family, she might be checking my background or family size before kidnapping me.
"I mean, the family you live with under one roof."
'She suspected me of being Seol Cheon-seong. If I say I live alone with Daddy, it'll deepen her suspicions.'
"I live alone."
It wasn't a complete lie.
'Right now, I'm living alone in the Demonic Cult.'
And saying I lived alone was better for precautions.
'Easier to let their guard down than saying I have a big family.'
"Ah, you're living alone. I had no idea and asked something rude... I'm sorry. But it was something I had to confirm for future matters."
Whether she'd taken it as I intended—that I had no parents—Ryu-on looked at me with pity.
'What does she mean by "future matters"?'
At first, I'd suspected she was colluding with the Tang Clan of Sichuan, but something felt off.
'If she really planned to kidnap me, she wouldn't say it so openly.'
"Now it's my turn to tell you about myself. My full name is Seol Ryu-on. I'm the 11th Elder of the Demonic Cult, but also the matriarch of the North Sea Ice Palace."
'The matriarch of the North Sea Ice Palace?'
That would mean... she's Mom's sister?
Daddy never talked about my maternal family, so I'd never heard, but having read the original novel, I knew Mom's maternal home was the North Sea Ice Palace.
Even that she was a prime candidate to become its matriarch.
Back then, rumors swirled that the North Sea Ice Palace was colluding with the Demonic Cult, so the Tang Clan of Sichuan demanded Mom give up the matriarch position in exchange for marrying Daddy.
Mom, with her free spirit, had no interest in the role anyway, so she passed it to her younger sister as the Tang Clan demanded, married Daddy, and gave birth to me.
'But after Mom's sudden death, Daddy and the North Sea Ice Palace became complete enemies.'
That's all I knew.
The original didn't detail Mom's family relations, so I hadn't known much... but to meet Mom's blood sister like this. No wonder she looks just like the portrait.
Wait, let me think.
If she's Mom's blood sister, what relation is she to me?
My aunt?
The thought that Ryu-on might be my aunt brought back unwanted memories from my previous life, clouding my vision.
"Why should I? The third one lives better anyway! Do I have to take in and raise that house's kid just because we were close? Do you know how much it costs to raise kids these days?"
The cold face of my aunt, who turned hostile when I lost everything—memories that resurfaced whenever I tried to forget.
'That face is still vivid.'
It'd be no different in this world.
No matter how close the sisters were, with Mom gone, she'd treat me like baggage.
My previous life's aunt's face overlapped and faded repeatedly over Ryu-on's.
At that moment, Ryu-on's warm hand gently grasped my stiffened one.
"Aide Seol."
When her warmth made me face her gentle features squarely...
"Won't you become my daughter?"