Chapter 29
Chapter 29
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: The First Aunt
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“Stop dodging like a coward and face me fair and square, Heuk Biwon!”
“My, my, brother-in-law.”
The floor was soaked in puddles from the water my third uncle-in-law had conjured.
“I'm humoring a surprise attack from my own brother-in-law. How much fairer can I get?”
My eldest uncle dipped the tip of his toe into one of them. In that instant.
*Crackle!*
Lightning erupted from every puddle.
Strangely, the lightning converged solely on my third uncle-in-law, avoiding everyone else.
“Gyaaaaargh!”
“…That’ll kill him.”
“Your uncle knows how to control it,” my father answered nonchalantly.
“If he kills someone here, your outing is canceled. If he has half a brain, he knows that.”
That was a good point.
Besides, an attack that would be fatal to an ordinary person would likely be no problem for an ability user.
“Haa, haa…”
Sure enough, I could see my third uncle-in-law gasping for breath.
His clothes were scorched and his hair singed, but he seemed otherwise unharmed.
“I'll kill you! And to kidnap and torment a child of the Heuk family?! What did you do to Daewi!”
“Hey now, I'm a Heuk, too, you know?”
“Shut up!”
Just as I was starting to get bored.
“Looks like things are getting interesting over here, too.”
My father muttered something cryptic. At the same time, the wind began to howl.
“Ugh.”
“Just hold on for a moment.”
I shielded my face from the wind and forced my eyes open.
*CRACK!*
Just as I took a breath, enormous tree roots shot up from the ground.
They surged right in front of my face, startling me.
*'Trees? Could this be…'*
With one arm holding me, my father lazily waved his other hand.
*Slice.*
A sharp gust of wind shredded the roots.
*Thud, thud, thud.*
What had once been roots fell to the floor.
*'Yikes…'*
It was a scene that would have sent any normal onlookers scattering in terror.
But, as befitting the Heuk family, which was full of ability users, the onlookers were made of sterner stuff.
Then again, this was no time to be caught off guard.
“That is enough.”
Not far away stood a tall young man in his early twenties. He had dark brown hair and wore glasses.
*'That is…'*
That was Heuk Yehun. My second aunt's son.
“They were the ones fighting. Why are you telling me?”
My father's wind swirled menacingly around Heuk Yehun.
*'Heuk Yehun's appearance means…'*
It must be time.
“Lord Biwon had no reason to come here, so it must have been you, Lord Bihu, who arranged for her to show up.”
Heuk Yehun adjusted his glasses, his expression chilling.
“I don't know what you're plotting, but stop it.”
“I've never been so misunderstood in my life.”
Just then, a woman could be seen striding forward from behind Heuk Yehun.
“All of you, stop.”
She was a black-haired woman dressed in Eastern-style attire, an elegant shawl draped over her shoulders.
Though nearing forty, she looked younger than her age, with a stern and unyielding air.
It was my first aunt, Heuk Haran.
“You vulgar fools. Have you no shame, brawling in front of the servants…”
And she was also one of the top three physicians and apothecaries in the Heuk family.
*'An obstacle that either I or the heroine will one day have to overcome…'*
At the sight of his mother, Heuk Daewi began to struggle as if having a seizure. His eyes were wide enough to tear.
*'He must realize he's screwed.'*
He would never have wanted his mother to see him in such a state.
My first aunt's jet-black eyes seemed to glance at me for a moment.
But it was only for an instant.
My first aunt gently waved her hand, and a massive tree trunk slithered out from the floor, extending at high speed.
Its target, surprisingly, was my third uncle-in-law.
“Ugh! What are you doing, sister-in-law!”
“I'd like to ask you the same thing.”
The tightly bound third uncle-in-law, Bae Seonghyeon, tried to use his water ability to escape, but it was a futile attempt.
*Thump!*
My first aunt stomped on Bae Seonghyeon's back with her elegant shoe, pinning him to the ground.
“Since when does a mere warrior speak to me.”
“Mmph, hmph, mmph!”
“If you don't want to become my next experiment, I suggest you shut your mouth.”
Heuk Haran then raised her head.
“That applies to you as well, Heuk Biwon.”
“…”
“I told you to stop running wild like an untamed colt. You haven't changed a bit.”
My eldest uncle crossed his arms.
He was completely unscathed.
“Well, well, long time no see, dear sister. Wow, not a single blemish on your skin. Have you been drinking blood or something?”
“Your tongue is as vulgar as ever.”
Heuk Biwon dodged a tree branch flying toward him and grinned.
“Your trees never seem to rot, do they, sister? How disgusting~”
Heuk Haran possessed a nature-based ability, allowing her to control trees and other plants.
For our family, which deals in medicinal herbs, it was the best ability next to healing.
*'It's perfect for growing plants, after all.'*
And the young man who had blocked my father and me, my second aunt's son Heuk Yehun, was also an ability user who controlled plants.
His mother, my second aunt, had died young, so he was raised by her twin sister, my first aunt.
“Hmph.”
My first aunt's eyes turned toward us.
“…What a surprise. To see my little brother with a hole in his head all the way out here.”
This one, that one.
Why was everyone so eager to throw an insult at my father?
*'Did he make a lot of enemies when he was sane…?'*
I thought, looking at my father's handsome face. Given his personality, it was certainly possible.
“Who is that?”
“…Your oldest sister, Daddy.”
“You don't look alike at all.”
It was true; the three brothers were exceptionally good-looking.
While my aunt was conventionally pretty with an added touch of elegance.
The three brothers were on another level of handsome, and my father was the most striking of them all.
Oh, it was just for a second, but I think my aunt's face twisted in anger.
Was that a sore spot?
“Such insolence… Why is a half-wit like you here?”
“Ah, ah, let me explain~”
My eldest uncle bounded over to my first aunt.
“Perfect timing. You were going to ask me a bunch of pointless questions anyway, like why I'm here and what right I have to cause a scene, right?”
“Move. I wasn't asking you.”
My eldest uncle grinned slyly.
“Oh, but you'll want to hear what I have to say.”
“…”
“I'm here to file a complaint, sis.”
“A complaint?”
“That kid, Heuk Daewi, hit me. It hurt a lot.”
*Pfft…!* I buried my face in my father's clothes to stifle my laughter.
“…Daewi did what?”
“Daewi hit me, and guess what… he also hit my favorite new niece.”
But I wasn't hit.
*'But pretending I was? I can do that perfectly. I'm a veteran.'*
Should I secretly give myself a scratch right now?
My first aunt glared at Heuk Biwon and stretched out her hand.
Vines shot up from the floor and untied the ropes binding the struggling Heuk Daewi, his companions, and the warriors.
“M-Mother…! That's a bold-faced lie! That… that uncle kidnapped me, beat me, and threatened me!”
Good grief. Listen to him spin that tale. I furrowed my brow.
“Daddy, can't you shut his mouth with wind?”
“Of course I can. Want me to make it so he can't breathe?”
“Just a moment.”
Heuk Daewi fell to his knees with an aggrieved expression, tears streaming down his face.
His looks aside, just from his appearance, he seemed like someone who had truly suffered.
“The warriors did their best to save me…! But they were no match for that crazed uncle! And then the other uncle joined in! Against me and my young friends!”
Heuk Daewi's companions hesitated for a moment, wondering if they should go along with this, but then followed his lead and dropped to their knees.
“Wow, what a fantastic performance. He looks so wronged.”
My eldest uncle whistled and clapped. Heuk Haran glared at him.
“Are you saying my son is lying?”
“Sister, why do you think I, who am still supposed to be in a period of madness, am standing here perfectly fine?”
“…”
“It's because I'm starting to get better.”
My aunt's eyes widened.
My eldest uncle grinned slyly and stepped closer to her.
*Whoosh!*
“I will not permit you to come any closer.”
“But I don't want to listen.”
As he approached, he blocked the vines that flew menacingly toward him with his hand.
*Crackle!*
Electricity sparked from my eldest uncle's hand, burning the roots away.
Finally closing the distance, my eldest uncle whispered with a handsome smile, loud enough for everyone to hear.
“What to do… The illness that you, the self-proclaimed best in the Heuk family, couldn't cure… is showing signs of improvement.”
It was a direct blow to my first aunt's pride.