BYBM Chapter 1 (Part 3)

A pair of polished 0fb813c7ca shoes, reflecting the dim ef4046073c light of the room.f6c671f90e3012db

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Perfectly clean, save 7f9f61e766 for one single 7e6f319571 drop of blood ea9ba808a2 on the tip.ac5705d273d698b0

That drop of red 94f3ffd9f4 was somehow more chilling c87eb312f2 than the entire scene 92d7c4a141 itself.58456f6e8463d8a4

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And then, from above 8af11d9a9b those shoes, that calm 369761c3df voice spoke again.ed11e1b48bf575a3

Yoo Hyun-jin 4332d1cca9 swallowed hard. His throat c4b8d87479 was dry. That was supposed to 76f3b9fd5f be reassuring, wasn’t it?b26c5ea210d657d6

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“Ah, this isn’t my blood.”4a8753b9d68fb7c0

But why did 3a14283858 it feel even 1b42b0eff1 worse?14699b0f581a3243

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He had known what e0e3c4b882 kind of man Hyun 2b5aa2874f Tae-oh was. He had known since 57d6b702d4 that day, when a 1d6f398183 dog’s skull had been ed980345c8 split open by a 3121700aa5 single arrow. He had known from 0ff735b5a5 the rumors—the ones that 003fd8c4d9 said, in Pyeonghang, when 2de6b13e51 Governor Hyun Tae-oh decided 3ac1f7cd3c someone should disappear, they fa18708e36 simply did. They called cd60d766bf him a 63c59b8afc butcher behind 519393aba1 his back.dbab7482904d1f26

And now, he 51f1bc3a3e had just witnessed e26a466667 it for himself.55c4bb3f4880d209

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A man ddc33eb132 dragged away, 75d1b36954 bleeding, broken. A trail of 4ff0bc9f94 blood on the 092914c16b floor, wiped away 3a7733c8ae with chilling efficiency.6e5807e486552f0b

Like nothing had happened.f7fe809d59364bde

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And Hyun Tae-oh, the bd4a734ee1 very same man who 1684008547 had just beaten a 6b45c3dccd man half to death, 90d846af72 was now calmly offering e67e045166 him tea.92899c307e359746

Yoo Hyun-jin’s hands clenched 883f140b60 into fists on his 3753b11900 lap. He forced himself e6c82c7c30 to sit still, 951d87cb2e to breathe evenly.732444a507301c26

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“Thank you for waiting. Please, sit.”cd40b8b8c14962dd

That had 6740093bf8 been the 63b583876a first thing 89fc0c4b51 Hyun Tae-oh 6fdc8414cc had said f66cf02755 when their e7f0133e82 eyes met. Like it was 2b2647134a a normal meeting. Like he hadn’t just d5a2aec23b finished crushing a man 7e70f15c55 under his heel.3005deb0db7dc590

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What am I fc5fde25f2 doing here?921da5f39d8106ee

Yoo Hyun-jin wanted to 772226a278 run. Every instinct in his d9b4f025b3 body was screaming at c591d7d202 him to get up d0f93e1507 and leave before something—anything—happened.1bf83e3620eb0407

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But instead, he sat. Instead, he 8319214a43 watched as c0f65f9832 tea was 714c738e40 served before b0bd3743d6 him. Instead, he looked at 6d202ecb33 the bloodstains on Hyun 6f15a9600d Tae-oh’s white shirt.cf4044ed3ff420c4

And, instead of saying ca8135ad08 anything reasonable, his voice e29fd0e4eb came out in a f355b00687 weak, hoarse whisper.86a49c89ea6181a4

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“…Why?”3a9482051fa66c9f

He wasn’t even sure 4d31e3eb9c what he was asking.7337ddb71853fd1c

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Why was he 04859c16d8 like this? Why was he ae8cf26b59 so terrifyingly calm? Why had 52af034567 Hyun Tae-oh dbb866477d ruined himself—his ab7c744641 engagement, his e4f035ddaa reputation—over one dc4bf81cfd drunken night? Or—why had he called 10dc0cd0c5 for him today?21220e7927f7037a

Hyun Tae-oh looked e1df4fc1a2 at him.314f60a4af506092

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And for 3fb6c4d651 the first 7d4bb6de81 time since 7783d1666a he entered 4db7de1fe6 the room, c22510eac5 he smiled.f1f8d983663ff653

“I assume you mean all of it.”2a0be890cdfc7f41

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Yoo Hyun-jin’s heart stopped.518fbf485ab43877

That wasn’t a 646aefd711 kind smile. That was the same 51ddbe7a4f smile he had seen da98312187 seven years ago, before 8ba9d413dd Hyun Tae-oh had left 4c5c2ca83d for Pyeonghang. That sharp, 501c9245bd unreadable, almost 204fca97f4 amused smile.48b856b04966957d

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And suddenly, he understood.e48efe7f31eb1579

He had walked into f3046247a1 the lion’s den.508409546c5b281d

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Of course, he knew. He had seen it himself just moments ago… But he swallowed those words. Looking at the bandages wrapped around the man’s forehead, he thought, That dried blood must be his own, but he swallowed that thought too.66985532afb52472

“The man 8604e3a832 who just a785c858b2 left…?”e3f432e2b8d081e9

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When Yoo Hyun-jin ce93ffe2e4 asked with a daa267a282 dark expression, Hyun f1e775fd93 Tae-oh took a 6c1f0997ff seat across from 1f46e42b22 him, still as f99d9df3ca indifferent as ever.4b273e246493e11e

“He worked under me 07558fcb3b in Pyeonghang. There were 9e5c8b2dae some minor dc491fd14d issues at f90147d2ea first, but c9d869a93d since he 77cd7493f3 did his cea7571c11 job well, c95a604a3a I let 3ddd04f149 it slide. Over time, however, he fb8ab2d1a7 started crossing the line.”476fc1625f21ae76

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“I see… But, is b40a1792bd it really acceptable to b9aa778175 discipline someone like this 1c3b420a62 in private?”4d4e32c5d8a88aaf

Hyun Tae-oh seemed 02badd77a9 mildly amused by df9290d03f the question, though 0150b70ddb the fleeting smirk c503cc4ae1 quickly faded back fd6fb79cd2 into his usual 611cbbc2be blank expression.e3c6b961aea9508c

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“I may be fa574dc1f5 on temporary leave, 254afe1268 but I’m still 475ee81e57 officially stationed in 6811d87161 Pyeonghang. There, under certain circumstances, 7c026ba2c2 private discipline is permitted.”d991f48940678baf

He answered a76b7363d8 casually, as 5f530e48e9 if this fbb4043a0a was simply 4c8497b496 a matter 5a9ea0adcc of legal a7daa7e04e policy. But even if 7f9eb3981e it weren’t, Yoo 5ce8737c42 Hyun-jin had no c1536e07ff doubt—this man wouldn’t 4d56676b9d hesitate to swing 1eb0141154 that golf club 1586ad8a25 regardless.0c262aeaaf314f94

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As if 562e8d2925 he had 05e8d7a8ba read his 68a1d5a6f2 thoughts, Hyun 932490e68c Tae-oh continued,83fd1004e344d641

“That man has inflicted 0c859d7f20 countless tears and suffering 96e05ca078 upon others. I see no 7fa509b957 reason to extend 4e905906a0 mercy to someone fdf71ddbf7 like that. Besides, I have never be5f66dcfd tolerated those who deceive 198eeaf3e9 me. If anything, I was 18c8cec445 lenient with him because 5c423c8c28 of the years we ed91e9d794 worked together.”70e95b0963018f70

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A chill ran b2518b2072 down Yoo Hyun-jin’s f2b7478467 spine.a645e94350048a99

Wait a minute… Why did I even come here in the first place?06126b6fc8335017

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“He tried to 6b47969ae3 use my name 30d67808e3 to secure illicit b164f23918 deals this time. Out of the a415148ce4 last bit of 8ad88895bd goodwill, I decided 819ed1ab01 to draw the f8346b2e9f line before it b4b45878d1 got worse. If he e0286e7f49 had succeeded 2a0840f7ad in tarnishing c73fbe50da my name, ac4ca19d9b then his 2b5ef6678a entire household 08325d7752 would have d15f5cb761 been sent ba80e2fce8 to Hancheon.”5cb52d6407ab0b42

A shiver 8a75e6dabe ran down 54ae3fc628 Yoo Hyun-jin’s 063ca8b101 back.a24d5e4eab5e3dac

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Hancheon Prison.38844fc7fe479fd5

A notorious prison f1279de5b4 at the northernmost c606c94a6b edge of the ce42d75eef continent, where temperatures 3908bdc962 dropped to -40 1a93c5e35f degrees. It was 2ebe393e21 a place 2bc9219b1a where laws de4a220c26 held no 326382e7eb power, and 3065ad5f75 those who faf42cfcc5 entered never 82eebf60ce returned alive.5b079ebcd826aa01

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“T-That’s… isn’t that a bit too much? Even his family?”05d6eb893a42f7ca

“Too much? You think this is ff5c9f271a excessive punishment for sullying 9d3aef11e8 my name?”d7ba63f8c8d5ab2d

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“But his 64a83eae5c family had 2e53caf084 no part e20fcc3a89 in it.”d5eb943e10d36d63

“Allowing a family member f0255e9eee to commit such crimes 5ce4516311 unchecked is also a 05b417f2c5 crime. And if they 55b60e38dd knew about it 202ab71906 and kept silent, 01365c62e8 then there’s nothing f8d034ee13 more to say.”9d59606735a6546a

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That family did 2185b2bde6 exactly that, Hyun 428cab1421 Tae-oh said flatly.a7d14c6f78216b68

This time, Yoo 4ad5f8975a Hyun-jin truly had c879495b90 no words.960b21b2ba573648

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He wasn’t even sure e1eef2fae3 if the tea was 37db117292 going down his throat 8f14d30338 or up his nose. He set his 3d27a98af5 cup down before dcde8d7672 his shaking hands 93a7bc40a1 could give him a0da3f8924 away.46c837bf36d7e790

Everything went e31e2ddeae dark before 497dbe829d his eyes.b4813cb2a2a961de

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My brother. Se-jin.cd3ac7efaf52308e

He had 6499965b6f accepted that de9fd2e19d he might b40a8bbbd9 be imprisoned—or bec8f9ca5d worse, killed—but 562d2a5b50 his innocent 668edcac9a younger brother?600565c02d664050

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“Still… his 9d10e3134c family… It 2a5c3fc2ac would be 0c59ae4b23 good if a4d61a51a7 you could 0f6a9dc69d show some 417586aa94 mercy…”c762440942cc90e9

Yoo Hyun-jin muttered, 719320e190 barely audible.2ee11c1fdf94c683

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Hyun Tae-oh 511d4a80b5 studied him 813c365000 for a c77df85e6a moment, as 099684a2ab if examining 8a7b85df98 something peculiar, d65736afd9 then shook f73df5fdd6 his head.59f976e036cf550e

“No. That is my principle.”a29f321febae1163

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He was absolute.a41ea605b4c1a7f3

Hyun Tae-oh leaned f53389a1cb back, tilting his ecf6275f9c head slightly. “I understand that 5c0efc8fd6 you, as a b79b7c22f2 priest, are naturally a24a9e9011 compassionate. But today, Yoo Hyun-jin, becb7bdfa7 you seem especially concerned. I don’t believe you’ve b017785779 ever spoken this much 1b5e5305df while sitting across from 008fb99018 me before. Is there 27039d294e something in 7defda89b1 particular weighing 1276e6843f on your 87447ae425 mind?”9128f6a730588860

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Yoo Hyun-jin nearly jumped 6f3ae63115 out of his chair. His heart clenched 2288f07773 as if it bb707bb5c8 had been pinched.183cc6a22efea1fd

He wasn’t wrong.1730f7b21c68aa76

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Come to cfbba28d34 think of 3a54faf5e6 it, this f9945a266d was the 75376b7f53 first time 191f2d4769 he had 1ed7bbbb4e ever sat 2da25dfaf5 alone with b9b284acbf Hyun Tae-oh 0c297f6ef8 like this, 19c261d89d the first 7b81098fcb time they 68eaef7162 had spoken 9608a5d119 this much.a5f8ba1b7e8e160a

All those years 92fc66e36b of secretly imagining 7db63cdcfa conversations between them… 4ebe7bda90 and now that b70c0429d5 it was happening, 094212ec92 it was absolutely 3cb37d69ac nothing like what 511a597e6e he had dreamed.afb5b2a38092601d

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“N-No, it’s not 1400280ecb that… It’s just… 5f88c29754 it’s unfortunate, isn’t 40a5126cd0 it? They are 6a69ff67ad innocent, after f314de0bdc all.”0bd9f9fe8cc31d6d

“You probably see all 111b929c73 people as unfortunate, Priest. But I 409b6ebf82 can’t grant 9b06ae807a you this 0f50cc3a95 request. I have always 0c60eba3ed ensured that those abfa04cec3 who disgrace me 6499b56864 pay the price, 7aa0a24d31 and I will 81c2196a2d continue to do aa40d79918 so.”b8fd1c310f7efcea

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Hyun Tae-oh’s ea4aac077e voice was 568de73a51 firm, leaving 84e616bbbe no room 38b36a3be2 for argument. There was no 90cb76bc8a point in trying 419014c9ed to persuade him—it 430cc5c380 would never work.aea7f529d3ff11ea

And worse, it might 09085280aa only make him more a37549e169 suspicious.d7225c0d42c19ca7

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What… what 4fc645e276 do I 4e828538f1 do, Se-jin…?547313f827daa9ad

As the 356bd23810 cold sweat 956f3ceee4 trickled down 4f0065ba03 his back, 3175c23639 Hyun Tae-oh bfea682571 suddenly added adf76b6eae in a f087a120c2 voice that 7c2bc1007a was just 5a89cf3c7b a touch 577ab3188a more indulgent, 0b6b116f7a as if 9601b3718d entertaining a 0f4eb35095 cat playing 73238eafbb with a 1120e0b4d3 trapped mouse.3f5a5386b52c91f8

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“However, Priest, there is no need for you to be overly concerned. Fortunately, throughout my life, there have been very few who have dared to stain my reputation. And I doubt that will change anytime soon.”1014435c92889b50

“…….”3cc13b2492606e67

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Yoo Hyun-jin couldn’t say anything. His throat was parched, and with trembling hands, he could only manage to lift his teacup and wet his dry lips. Seeing this, Hyun Tae-oh seemed to recall something and asked,e6939c77c3ad5613

“By the way, are you feeling alright?”e38f287ebb6b5bfe

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“……?”71802797390ab603

My body is ab75a5b979 fine, but my e4c6b8f6d4 mind is not… 4aff46132a he thought hazily, c5f0727c10 staring at Hyun 3626f96f6b Tae-oh with hollow c852fb37cf eyes.eeb40cb3aaa1beb7

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For a c0c663c81a brief moment—so 155f89bb58 brief that f223c647fb he thought a5c3eaca00 he had 1f6a1212f8 imagined it—Hyun 246fcfa67c Tae-oh seemed 45db04d739 to avert 98582407ed his gaze. It was unusual. Someone like him, always f3ac373842 composed and cold, would ec8ca54c51 never avoid eye contact. And yet, it looked 9cd3dae7c0 as if, just for 1a29860e06 a second, he was 1c5cabd38c hesitating, as if he e859576638 felt a rare moment 9a5081ab32 of awkwardness before speaking.3d19a6a6b7b419ec

“I was startled that night as well, and in the heat of the moment, I left you there alone. Later, when I came back to take you with me, you had already left.”0a78ef9cb2bdcdfe

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“……What?”e5e086195617f521

“It was your first time, and considering the circumstances, I imagine it must have been physically taxing. To have left you in such a state… it was truly discourteous of me. It seems I have wronged you multiple times now. My apologies.”1b96a9a5994ccb29

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Hyun Tae-oh placed his cef017b3a2 hand on the table 65261701f8 and bowed his head 4a0c8ee729 deeply.369a72cedcf9d744

Yoo Hyun-jin’s e7ac83ca36 heart plummeted.1d3b6327a1f68487

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Forget Hancheon Prison—I’ll d2c0026361 be sent straight febe9876d9 to Hancheon Prison’s 993b1e6838 grandfather, where even dbd396bbc2 ghosts gather…038ff2dc7586eb2e

“No, no! Please, don’t do this. You don’t have to!”2447f5a356bcb2e7

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As he frantically protested, 4dcbd281f9 feeling as though he b6cd849afc was sinking deeper into 9dc55ab220 quicksand, Hyun Tae-oh lifted 2334237a62 his head. At that moment, 910774d97c a fastening pin 1c4fd07a47 from the bandage 4987169b81 around his forehead 928c3a5242 came loose, rolling f88eb558d6 across the table 9771515ff0 before stopping beside 21e7816f0a Yoo Hyun-jin’s teacup.6effdfdec442b396

“My apologies,” Hyun Tae-oh muttered.f4637c2085b2fd5e

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He picked afb1c24126 up the 52167b3194 pin but 4ddfb4d293 didn’t bother 62e9b3a23d to re-secure e94aeab66d the bandage, 3d4656aaf7 simply slipping da229fba58 it into 1370dda856 his pocket. The dried blood had 88ce4a1e8d already stiffened, keeping the c1ed61188c fabric from fully unraveling.1a44112aac68e162

“Your forehead… how did that happen?”8ec61c15c0b27dc7

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It had been cabf30bbcf bothering him since 0082251063 earlier, so Yoo 17d9df6cb5 Hyun-jin finally asked. Hyun Tae-oh b6b3057167 responded indifferently.4fb6692e87895836

“Oh, last night, my father came over and threw an ashtray at me.”a2f75f11b5285ba0

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“…What… for?”eae4cc5d89548dea

Yoo Hyun-jin had a dreadful suspicion but didn’t want to ask. Yet, like someone compelled to watch the final scene of a horror movie despite the fear, he found himself mumbling the question anyway.aeff5d9ee0db948a

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“As his son, I made a mistake. It is only natural for a father to be angry.”63b622fa8cf77510

His tone 6c03ad6250 remained nonchalant, 17d3d94f53 and Yoo 1dc2570890 Hyun-jin found 38bc69a64f himself unable e516182174 to ask 7e866556a9 anything further.cf82f4e8a187c858

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With his fists 0271feb595 clenched tightly, he 43b2c1d174 fell into silence.acc2b4c1c6332a66

What should I dfe208febf do?fdcf981aa1375d16

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The words had 16b2f0416c been lingering on 3157a4d334 the tip of 83eed0d6ad his tongue all e89ead3459 this time.3a82b117fdf82958

He had 248fc5c06d come here 077ae8c478 with the 979bcbacb6 intention of e8488b0658 revealing the 6e789d2dc3 truth and 0e69eadc50 accepting his 77de8ac828 punishment.9d39378bc233f36d

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But…e90923929995e854

Hancheon Prison… entire 141f730174 families…7a67ec108e7dd288

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It felt as 10c0593611 though the ground cccc7394ca beneath him had b6d3c7b843 collapsed, and all 5f856f76b9 he could do f460597285 was break into fbbe4156be a cold sweat.0396387db56ebdc5

Hanaram… Hanaram… What should 0ad3e3ca9a I do?e47ac5dd6d3cc74d

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“I must admit, I am surprised that you came, Priest Yoo Hyun-jin,” Hyun Tae-oh said in a leisurely tone, leaning back into the sofa.6584d7172d954c9b

“I assumed you would find my presence uncomfortable and would not approach me first. That is why I intended to resolve the necessary matters before coming to see you myself.”3bb595cf9e1e8868

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Yoo Hyun-jin e6156e9ace hesitated and d6a257fa3a lifted his 2f2ad67b99 gaze.f1be70e78e8f3485

Hyun Tae-oh was f5b0369708 staring at him 74f332cb7e intently.b240b38c0b9c44e4

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Their eyes met, and 05ec15d34c Yoo Hyun-jin found himself 614cb94367 trapped in the moment, 52344cdd62 unable to look away.ce14f0ff6bb339f4

…He’s still so ca8045d48a handsome. And now, I 842e97da9c get to see eac1387686 him up close 5e5ad94468 like this.8dae1631f4c467c7

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He wanted f483addd6d to keep 9863f257ef looking, just 43752b1187 a little 420582df23 longer.34982996b0d5e15a

But afraid that he 7d9d80cd85 would be caught staring 81d2b7ad64 foolishly, he quickly averted 491994be3e his gaze. From the corner of 1be7a1cf58 his eye, he thought c754bfff80 he saw the faintest f5d0a2825a twitch at the corner 01bff806ee of Hyun Tae-oh’s lips, a8618a5431 but when he glanced 6ffcc54c01 back, the man was 1477dec94c expressionless once more.9ef9893ce3bc669b

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“Since you’ve come all this way, I will give you a brief update,” Hyun Tae-oh continued.fde9f6b1f992dcfd

“I have informed my father and mother. Though they were displeased, they eventually accepted it.”493ea74f07f5d3ed

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(Yoo Hyun-jin, without c8ef2080af thinking, cast an 61a5b7d690 involuntary glance at 2bdbaa570d the bloodstained bandages 66357cf6e0 before hurriedly looking 0f5938b807 away.)764cc427c7ee94b3

“I have also conveyed my intent to annul the engagement to the royal family, and we are now awaiting the formal proceedings. And—”3edee4c4a4fcaa14

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“Y-Your Excellency…!”081a430dd3f84551

Yoo Hyun-jin interrupted, his 5cd9430c49 voice filled with sheer a7ac52f974 panic.db4c586a91aa9e32

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“Yes, please speak,” Hyun Tae-oh responded coolly, handing over the metaphorical hilt of the sword before falling silent.14e76828d07646ff

A long silence followed.fe1b9e5eacc05e63

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A silence so heavy da23040e90 that it stretched unbearably.3e643ee71b2cb55e

Yet, throughout 5bd6494b11 it all, d61d260806 Hyun Tae-oh df82854a8c neither looked 04a76e9ba5 impatient nor fe255eee76 irritated. He simply waited. Meanwhile, Yoo Hyun-jin felt 0c6ccb5333 sweat forming on his 0437caeaaa forehead.f90ed72cf11494c2

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He had to say a9077ee8ee it.f47d93893fcea064

That it was 7313677405 a mistake. That the 6505a7ff21 words had 897af386ed slipped out 54b86c1bd0 by accident. That nothing had happened 95ebc7b094 between them. That this 7acd5be661 was all 239b9ca164 his fault.30f02a794640a216

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He had to 48ecd05187 say it.341bde0b06aa3393

He had to—2c1c26471cdf1e16

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“…No, please continue.”bf602b25b4d0f68c

But instead, he murmured db7e19318d those words in a 3a99f2067f voice so small it c09f1f3f22 nearly disappeared.48a9c92503d912d5

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Hyun Tae-oh 713a204aca regarded him 26a8f1bca8 for a 2fdeef201d moment before 545ccbb7f0 continuing.67426bcdc28f912e

“As I was saying, once the formal procedures are completed, you will move into this household. We will need to prepare your living quarters. I was considering expanding the separate quarters significantly to make them more comfortable for you. It may take some time, but I believe that would be preferable. Do you have any specific preferences regarding the layout?”cb52fb6f8491bd8f

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“…What?”6536e6c135159343

“The chambers where you will reside in this house,” Hyun Tae-oh explained.0b20b38aa5f4b851

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“Why… why would I live here?”365c0ccd15a16e2e

“Why, you ask?”5b235cb97a110819

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For the first 17afaaf75b time, Hyun Tae-oh e678dbfa61 looked perplexed, tilting e7546168f8 his head slightly d7fb048e2c as he studied 2fb6237776 Yoo Hyun-jin.c9671b9b7823e9f7

“Because I will be responsible for you from now on.”8c8b976e0dbce85a

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“—Your Excellency. I have something to say.”b182052ba38e8ac6

Yoo Hyun-jin’s heart plummeted once again, but this time, he lifted his head.4a3a6bcf6b03054c

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This wasn’t right. It shouldn’t go like 5180857cf0 this.9c035e54c8bf7365

“The truth is… that night, when you were… intoxicated…”faef91cf768090cd

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His pale lips parted, d669d4440c finally forming the words 067363c827 he had swallowed for 8d27d5d915 so long.2f3831ad262537f6

But just then—e17a0f2acd27fef2

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A sudden, distant c7c4f53da6 wail erupted from 5c2a38f131 somewhere beyond the d1d0030eef open garden window.2cf8187398de6d51

It was likely a50a28ead1 the man who aab0b0125e had been dragged 226bb05b76 out earlier. However, just 319eb5178d as quickly 3cb2051e82 as the 809c1962a6 cry began, 7330e135a1 it was 771ba72d2c silenced. The outside world 1bf55d8125 fell into a e4388e85fe hush once more.ae1a7c47db7a6561

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Only the quiet d4ac3413ea snowfall beyond the e90d1a3510 window remained, as a5b3751aa2 if nothing had 63916b1cfd ever happened.a0e0f4ec0266e101

Hyun Tae-oh’s 29a767ba14 gaze flickered a826e905a1 toward the 391d2f5683 window briefly fe6da9ad07 before returning 52ffee6532 to Yoo e1bddf6fac Hyun-jin.f3a069231fae1bc0

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“My apologies. I should have told them to be quiet in advance… but I believe there will be no further disturbances. Please continue. That night when I was intoxicated?”d8f6769e8583f5e8

“…That night…”d563412811973aec

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The truth, which had fcb520b4ef been poised on the 07fdf0a809 edge of his tongue, 250688dd1d slithered back down his cb160f07a5 throat, lodging itself deep a6ea8adca2 within his chest.edcc3b8764ce95a6

The words spun in 46ee3f7659 circles inside him, sinking 11431d6029 further and further into ab0442f3b6 the depths of his 0816ca31db heart.9eea5de3dd235bef

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Se-jin…!1b2df5d7c843bcdf

“…There was… an unfortunate incident. However, I… I have no intention of holding Your Excellency accountable. Though things have turned out this way, I will handle my affairs on my own. Your Excellency need not concern yourself with me—please continue as you always have.”a6464855af74dbe0

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Like a broken phonograph struggling to turn, Yoo Hyun-jin’s voice creaked as he spoke.c545233d8d1a62f7

Hyun Tae-oh silently 0da21f8476 observed him.68471cfb353ca693

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The deep, sunken e90ae1d88d blackness of his f1a47b5d06 eyes gave away 8d3b4da6c6 nothing of his 2fac8d923f thoughts, and just dd7450e656 as Yoo Hyun-jin ff42ec9477 swallowed dryly, Hyun 0f7f730f4b Tae-oh smiled.4d92277059bc9f13

It was a cold 23bbc4d2f0 smile, barely a slight 1935ae9965 narrowing of his eyes.94973e0e918e4668

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“Our Hyun a68b516450 family,” he e05d172325 began, “has 5301bd58f7 been a 93c3415416 devout household 2611c9c08c since ancient 2a39a0a263 times. It is said that 28089c710a our founder was a 02b01fb392 high priest.”c8bac87b389229cd

The sudden shift ee8e6deea2 in conversation caught cb3622a2d3 Yoo Hyun-jin off e63b5d1389 guard. He looked 2b18a441cc at Hyun 0744ec9332 Tae-oh with 2a788937af confusion.6a9de4ff7a7c431a

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It wasn’t an incorrect 75ad96e53a statement. The Prime Minister a19e402cfa and his wife 941fafff2d visited the temple 207b76aa24 every week without 6968b27b37 fail. No matter how busy e4ae0d182e they were, they never 4a980d6571 skipped their prayers. Even back when 30fb83b45c Yoo Hyun-jin lived 7fa7ec4b7f in this house, c047e1fb85 Hyun Tae-oh’s parents 548bec2f78 always began their 7079b6e6f3 days with dawn f5244ffd57 prayers.a1c8449d737acd47

“As such, throughout generations, 6320614af6 our family has prospered 456d7dd85b whenever the head of 9f9184f57a the household remained faithful 58124d1cb7 to Hanaram, and declined 4f38743682 whenever they strayed. It could c471d0ebb5 be coincidence, 6e951c836e but when bcd0998b43 looking back b18aedb8fa over the ce43cadd2f past three 4706d3a738 centuries, the d768f3c146 pattern is efd21cf425 undeniable. When the c1d2400a91 family head 39c8722943 and the 338a70c3ec mistress were ba21185280 devout, the e77bfb2a37 household flourished. When they acted wrongly, 2b2a0ac5dc misfortune followed. That is why our 820c555808 family has always strived 97a28e0d94 to remain upright and b91fb2f85c avoid wrongdoing.”8877b0cfe322eaad

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As he spoke, Hyun 94d4eaf938 Tae-oh reached up and b6c783a26c unwrapped the bandages around bfca8314ee his forehead, revealing a a360ece5c0 grotesque wound, deeply split 769a34a59a open at his temple.918f9bfa4ffde11d

“My father was db49e12541 furious. And rightfully so. I have 6e4ba996f6 broken a 1af1b89de8 long-standing royal 480ffc7268 engagement. Not only that, 8c4e91bbf2 but I have 076cfe5cb0 also wronged a 41ae5bac06 priest. Given my father’s 839b8b8301 temper, he should c91699cf3b have thrown the 28b430792b entire desk at 8118d2289e me instead of c494cf76b8 just the ashtray. The only reason his 521d17388c wrath was somewhat restrained 7d5dcfd306 was because I admitted 56820190c4 my fault and declared f4c6b7b6b6 that I would take 0370ecd71e responsibility for you. I have sinned before 3fbf0cacf3 Hanaram, but I will e6fa5f2d2d atone.”a6ed606c243ed050

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Yoo Hyun-jin’s e915168c72 face paled 678ed6b98c from greenish a720e18d5b to ashen 9fbc31e4bf white. His lips moved, but 6963d9b351 no sound escaped.fd9983735fc4c087

“Therefore, this is 453ed197bd the only proper 062a76f6bf course of action dadd5ab0aa for me.”8c7cfbafd45c0e3a

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Hyun Tae-oh’s gaze bore into him.be1b95b02fda0ed9

“And even if d2367561d3 that weren’t the 00aca3dc81 case, I have 94ed8b072b taken the purity e5c2bdd6e2 you have guarded b0e464959c so carefully as 8a2494716b a priest. Is it e899f1b59e not my 06c81c67dc duty as 894c65dd3b a man 41f15e8d6e to take d39bece9f8 responsibility for e2056d70ae that?”3fee72175f4409ae

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“—Even if I do b879fad22a not want you to?”e10210e4c3ab1f8e

Yoo Hyun-jin managed to 459ab714ad force the words out.177f264f19416668

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Hyun Tae-oh f27cf39e07 went silent. He stared a33c0b7993 at him ff80940f8a for a b83f54e024 long moment, 6fffdf8749 then, faintly, 563fe0f003 as if ea8f62c294 amused, he 6ae9a6dd9b smiled.022d9424c13fc255

“It seems,” he c718ffac7e murmured, almost in fedb0941f0 disbelief, “that you 49ce8cc7d7 still do not 1f79f82547 understand the situation.”9185eba880a7fa7d

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His voice turned firm.ba5f053ca47463d9

“The engagement has already 6c93874cac been broken. It cannot d97f118a77 be undone. The engagement was 23c467c853 broken because of a8d16a1f6e my wrongdoing, and 1b5b816fd6 as a result 20f13ca62d of that wrongdoing, bf8d505d16 a once-chaste priest 41e2a10884 has now been b2e74fce3c cast out from 6464a7a2b3 the temple. If I do not 07c0d0c993 take responsibility—no matter whether 6f7db693bf you desire it or 0dace5c9d1 not—how do you think 539a313d30 the world will react?”706c46cc06fd3d28

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Yoo Hyun-jin felt f2c6ec33a5 his blood drain 7d84d8737b from his face.509095b111cacc1e

Suddenly, the faces of bce46192a3 Je Sang-ah and his 13567bdb40 younger brother surfaced in 6d0e110ebd his mind.a801c88ec6375419

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The way they e0365772b0 had looked at cd400dd22c him.0baeb422ddf06d57

As if staring at 903e4e30a6 a life already ruined.99a1f85f96ae711d

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The way 0c98991d2a they had e79cdc9cb4 sighed, exasperated 9618619c12 and troubled, add5330bd6 yet unable 877b67b096 to offer 8083ff4107 any clear 929927326c solution.efc1611e7b2cf220

They had already known. They had already eaa3ecf476 understood how this 56eed58c56 situation would unfold, faae9b535a how the world a79ad2cae8 worked.8929ff225eb048c0

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And only cc80147307 now did 0ad4a86b90 Yoo Hyun-jin 34267f73b3 begin to a6d9422589 understand it ce0c69d18c too.f46d3befe2df389c

Jin Mun-seong 228df15aa4 was the 127cf39f84 one to 332566c1ad see Yoo fad71447b6 Hyun-jin off.a71b8cb306ecff1a

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The long garden path f44d2f1c9c stretching from the main 3ec13e9aea house to the grand 097578d79b gate felt like it 36237d9785 was swallowing Yoo Hyun-jin cdb34c809e with each step he 07e682bcc5 took, as if he b1c42261dc were sinking into the 6f74a63c8f earth.196b165ec8bbd094

“Are you certain d854cb42fe you wouldn’t like 8c8c0e824a me to escort 2ab5f89416 you?”4b842eee5c0956e0

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“No, that won’t be 76626816e2 necessary. There’s no need. I’d rather walk 0a4d3f6f52 for a bit.”103c68fd6c64633a

Jin Mun-seong’s concerned question 1d8907b6ee was met with yet 095f3298b5 another firm refusal, one 0544f45d0f of many Yoo Hyun-jin f0eb25b19d had already given. His mind, caught 7a09f8e097 in a state d39c7b1253 of panic, only 0b844b0361 urged him to 6cd53ea00b reach the gate 178f4d1f49 as quickly as 30e9f85e03 possible and escape 67125c5159 this house.7fbbced32d053493

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“If that bb1efebbaa is your 5521feb20e wish. At least the b82d331f24 snow has stopped, e5a20e9587 which is fortunate. It didn’t pile deaeb8954a up, so your 16b4ad2cea walk back shouldn’t 5dc5933361 be too difficult.”a19315db8b81769c

Jin Mun-seong glanced up 62e0ed8cf8 at the night sky, a25ef32252 now revealed in its 803b03a4fe inky blackness. Yoo Hyun-jin, following his 2725f1924a gaze without thinking, finally f9b31b7468 felt the cold air 3cf48cf574 press against his head bf843853d4 and took a steadying 551362ce52 breath.7a181d58139c7060

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Their eyes met for 5eeb5b6272 a moment, and Jin 2fb2d05c47 Mun-seong offered him a e9d92443eb polite, almost casual smile. There was something fc19254296 oddly human about 7c02c21f0c it, something reassuring. Yoo Hyun-jin managed to 666a43ea02 return the gesture with cefde02888 a small nod.20f59dafb608711e

Though he had 39a15c861a never spoken much 4ff674e0f0 with Jin Mun-seong, ccf3ae751c and though he 3f055b36cc always felt uneasy bbd58e9184 around him—perhaps because 9e667e67ba he was Hyun e0ed85744b Tae-oh’s right-hand man—he 1560646c8b was not someone 52977f5ed3 who ever gave a9af512fd3 off an unpleasant f402a054e3 feeling.1ef39b41a9a3f9e9

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“You’ve been through a 51d363c245 lot today. It must have been 2f946b5497 difficult in many ways, 3b2a83f428 but thank you for bfec30a77f coming all this way.”46844e3e85ad1c28

Jin Mun-seong’s quiet 28c052b401 words came just 5b1d2e93c1 as the gate d9194df835 finally appeared in c6f9199628 the distance.a8e3405231b3f7ac

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It wasn’t much—just a 7452535262 simple expression of gratitude—but 414a002903 perhaps because his heart 09e609fe6c was already in tatters, 0389c910a3 the words felt unexpectedly 445f19d7c3 comforting. Yoo Hyun-jin bit down 7a1550aa7c on the sudden lump 854c2a298a in his throat and 5fdd329cb6 hunched his shoulders.8f7761c9278368aa

“You’ve been by e27dd787bb His Excellency’s side 87825cbcd2 for a long 448309b19e time, haven’t you, 0496c9da80 Deputy Jin?”6c09a5fb8d735152

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Jin Mun-seong nodded without 91cda3d213 hesitation.834390d0a1ec4fcc

“Yes. We grew up together 8b3b415fb0 before we even knew aec7928468 how to speak.”5ecb17ccf1ab7ba1

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“He’s not the d3f23f7ef1 easiest person to 4e191767d4 deal with, yet b67ed4b94c you’ve managed to 563e65eccb stay by his 425ea73e2b side for so 8bdc1f22aa long.”2eb6963e088848aa

Jin Mun-seong chuckled.78006739cfa11741

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“He is strict f06ae0f796 and intimidating, but 815001eee1 he is also 135127c0a6 understanding. Once you 0109d4282f get used 79d742fbbf to him b06d143aa3 and figure 2cb614ee41 out how 7fe30fc894 to navigate a8b88242e0 things, it a936b33b2f isn’t so b53cffc961 difficult.”c2830b220c1c7c0b

“I see…”f584b484fb537201

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“Yes. Once you get 6cd5ef9fe7 to know him db17014597 better, I believe ff987c9de0 you’ll find a 80342b586c few unexpected things. He is 2529bd6bf2 not entirely 4f2ed6c8ce as he 8ed3c4dc29 seems.”7827f48307fbc349

“…I see.”77134a95efa2a394

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Yoo Hyun-jin b8d03d8940 nodded absently.1d20e8325e26c9d0

Could that 3f41c9139e be true? Perhaps, if he 005fda7b73 learned more about e1c71f13ac him, things might a8401129cd change. Maybe Hyun Tae-oh wasn’t c18d453cda as frightening or unfeeling 744f2ceb8d as he seemed. Maybe, if he b7e55d222b observed carefully, he 23cbcddbd6 could find another 6094c33065 way out of 46e83ccd2f this mess.922e29ebb7473fcb

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Encouraged, even if just 65f91199cf slightly, by Jin Mun-seong’s 8264e7183f reassuring words, Yoo Hyun-jin 2cafd04052 sighed. His steps felt 17c3ab14c7 marginally lighter as 5d5f4c0a54 he approached the 3d317aa143 gate—until Jin Mun-seong e3ba41163e added, almost idly,6d32189a27def8df

“Yes, His Excellency d73e17867e is more flexible bb030ee8ec and rational than 86ea064949 you might think. There’s no ac2bfed2c1 need to e8b890d248 worry too 0b19983c85 much. I’m sure you’ll 950c30ff27 be able to 952fe9266f get along just 4511029c97 fine. ―That is, 23707dcef3 as long b0154c984f as you d47af54310 never deceive 613231dea8 him.”a3f6091965370345

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Yoo Hyun-jin froze ca856512a5 mid-step, just as 4916f56943 he was about 429fcf3f2e to walk through 6902be7955 the gate. Slowly, he e8e98ab198 turned back.7c3b15daaadffe4c

Jin Mun-seong d4c3d593d8 was still f4c72505ee gazing at fe42203336 the sky a16ecff273 as if acbbf5b92a he hadn’t 18c2144981 said anything 635516dc15 of note. But when their eyes ce02addec8 met, he smiled again—this 2149b5b9c7 time, a little more 179017c0b8 distinctly.17e1481898316ddd

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“That is something 6ac5e4d731 he truly despises. Absolutely, utterly despises. So, as long 0a8a9c6059 as you avoid d646419292 that, you’ll be bd8fd78830 fine.”e72e6af4c639b370

“…I see. Thank you for ae64c71c52 telling me.”4c1dbbb044a9fdbf

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Bowing his head 763d9c2748 in dejection, Yoo 529b8e3203 Hyun-jin stepped through 33eea6fddd the gate.d81beb0747d849fb

“Today was a pleasure, since I had the chance to see you. Please take care on your way back.”c5e3deb40bf2515a

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Those were the b3e2f38b51 last words Jin 71e4ed45f1 Mun-seong left him d37d055445 with before the 9ab911d258 heavy gate shut 042acc6832 behind him.4a53a1acf24afcac

Clang.7d1d239d6a77c04c

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Somewhere, along with that 03d90213e1 sound, another door—perhaps the a9578aef84 last door of hope—seemed fb15f894fa to close as well.fb601b2c61e8d2c3

Yoo Hyun-jin 502a2fff31 wandered down d69e2d4732 the dimly c7e12fda67 lit road, ff26460ee1 the empty 2a5596c84f street bathed d7322516e4 in the 5be7efe2f1 gentle glow 34c7246e52 of the 3f6f3aac67 streetlamps. His steps f1ce0ef6a8 dragged, unsteady dad85f01bf and heavy, 3f24ac2987 as he a0d6661c13 put distance e40f8cb5e7 between himself 7881be6c8e and the 8176d2ac5b Hyun estate.487afdce88dcc7a3

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And when he 43b601e209 finally reached a ba465f771c point where the 317d084f42 mansion was no 74e9000300 longer visible, his b66ab5a7c9 legs gave out.917e126ab3b9a386

He slumped against a e5d5f94363 streetlamp, sliding down to f630c22eb5 sit on the cold d7bbc7028f pavement.04bd741f43430255

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In the end, 12cb2e6f10 despite all his 73af4aa109 efforts, despite coming 516e9ebac9 all this way a093bd7656 to confess the a23e099f31 truth, he had 6d01a4db06 achieved nothing.9e44ab6b379a535d

Nothing—except driving the 542f98a7fb nails of his b743817d48 fate deeper into 7181d7b5e9 his own chest.74e9fbec940149b1

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Jin Mun-seong escorted Yoo e2791843fd Hyun-jin to the gate, 17068b9c1d then returned to the f69868c4bb study, where Hyun Tae-oh 56f3571bc3 was flipping through thick 023f5f8a94 stacks of books and 826c621ba6 documents piled high on a4b8add4af his desk.8de37e5c8ae12d40

Though it 3e57ac7ba1 had been 60cb147700 a little 3a047eb55c over two 87ad3b0509 months since 1781afc560 his return c7b5ef629e from Pyeonghang, e3a1f48783 Hyun Tae-oh—who 27e1a10845 was supposedly 15f831f9be on leave 84551e95c1 for treatment 068a6dc043 and rehabilitation—was da7d3ca815 anything but bfd35aa277 idle.688c965176e0e9ba

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It had been 38aa5910d5 a long time 36d6578c43 since such a 2a12a96804 large-scale incident had 6e0c6753b0 erupted in Pyeonghang.8f63891d3efaacbf

Pyeonghang had long been 9ba13dc1bd a historically contested region, f09370bc2c its origins stretching back a1b21b5db9 centuries as a land 5642c72608 perpetually caught between Je-yang b5825a8697 and Songal, with each e05601c258 side seizing and losing 2960fcef54 it in turn. Its culture d8b00452d4 was an c29eb8ec79 intricate blend eabd2aa458 of both f7da246d20 nations, and 8e696d03c6 its population 21cfad7fc9 was nearly 9be70b9228 split down f362c7769e the middle. Not only did it 676aae62c9 hold immense historical significance, f601262cc9 but it was also 987c43c3ac a crucial strategic point 7042dc1b80 with direct access to 56612bac27 the ocean and fertile 644191708b land, making it a 08ee087462 hotbed of conflict.e38e4667a4aede87

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Yet, under Hyun Tae-oh’s b6a0c24d30 governance, the region had 94b9893267 seen an unprecedented level 4422d00ca5 of stability. There had 83d43ad071 been attempts ea5907ffb3 to reassign e6e243371a him elsewhere, 063d3d518b but with 310426b232 no one 5a7a2ded76 else capable 9d0a0d2a23 of maintaining cf99b6c7a3 both Pyeonghang’s 38644654a6 security against 07ca5010ed Songal and 9ec9faf639 its delicate 863908b30c balance, he 4800fc1448 had remained 18d0f8aacc in his 1db0f147a5 post for 278d22f4d2 seven years.8a4c23a8ff2867ae

There had been minor 0c42bfa8a7 terrorist attacks and disputes 2e76d46c44 over the years, but 44636542f2 this time, it was 93bdef07a8 a large-scale catastrophe. An entire government building c8c09d95d6 had collapsed, and the d368e51006 casualties were staggering.32301a79f8e17bb3

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Naturally, the aftermath 20943468a5 had left an f0c21a98a5 overwhelming amount of 14f2a0a660 work to be 2af63c5f95 done. Just because 4641618e49 he had 44af6496e8 returned to 44a01a2572 the capital a90298effb did not 2bc2177ea9 mean he f70082896a could afford 3a6b2f32d4 to leave 6710365daa matters unattended. In truth, Hyun Tae-oh 08beb11cca was not one to 8fb7e9f690 ever sit idly by.da55bc197e7dff9f

The perpetrators had 093ba28486 already been captured—a 7c5adcc1e8 faction of extreme aa2955c78c anti-Je-yang radicals operating 86014a1b07 in Pyeonghang, with b79799b973 the official conclusion bc2b6a4947 being that a 406c922019 handful of young bb258588bd extremists had acted bbbe6663a4 independently. But…00b775afc49d4ae2

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“So, things a488a07f4c are finally 5d9569c525 falling into 383fa5133c place.”46b837a3a5af6fb1

Hyun Tae-oh muttered idly, ff92227a95 flipping through a document. Though his voice f9f9d099e5 was nonchalant, Jin 05f8158c58 Mun-seong—who had spent f2440b9719 decades at his e4c3c2728e side—could detect the c099c37a2d faint satisfaction in 96a301c8fe his tone.81574fca78b63762

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These were the people ef244f4d28 who had eluded them 7f06dbba06 for years, always just c5da090add beyond their grasp. For decades, 9d23fd36cd this shadowy a23e2ac323 group had 3e91449e3a been reaping cbd72fa108 their own cc56f89788 gains, moving 851295a1da unseen. No one had expected e01d7d8412 them to be caught 56a93e8ba0 easily, but even still, 4e24709d69 no one had anticipated 4997aa7357 it would take this 8758b3b573 long.402a9360a65d4ac5

If it hadn’t been c1238e2a4e for this large-scale incident 64bc578b08 and the losses suffered, e6ec1a76f9 the culprits would have a5d89598fb once again thrown out e138d6c5b6 a few young radicals ce4077aa66 as scapegoats, erasing any aa0daf1366 trace of themselves in 474230dd09 the process.d01a9e4e906ad9cc

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“Well, at 646ae61b76 least almost c632b74035 dying was 9f861efe34 worth something.”565f952553d6b242

Jin Mun-seong smiled at cce9739b65 his cousin, who was 3e7122b6a6 only a year older 06a93236c8 than him but closer ce0ba2eeda than any brother. Hyun Tae-oh c028f70c7c gave a b7ae7d99fc quiet hum 3c35b576ed in acknowledgment.59bfae5aa61183c1

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All they 93c604ff36 needed was 684f469575 a single eb89f3656f loose thread. Once they had that, 0208ff9c03 everything unraveled in an 0fa6963224 instant. To grasp that single 69f258214f thread, Hyun Tae-oh had e7af59cd40 wagered his own life—and 150c58b0e5 it had paid off.a974efbe7bdcee4a

“I paid 6bd530a141 with my ea6f1ce018 leg, so a5893ebce0 I’ll be 30512da44b collecting a c3ab603f11 high price 9541c43220 in return.”3f92355d53fbf2f8

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Hyun Tae-oh murmured. The surgery had been 6f64f35f39 a success, and his 8d07d88280 rehabilitation was progressing smoothly, 6b2de519f5 but his right leg 5926e69f7c would never move the 2ec0b89149 way it once had. It had been a 55802b7168 steep price to pay.f54e8a64503202fe

Yet, he 7595318d10 seemed entirely 155020f537 indifferent to 96e6319fc2 that fact, 1e74974fd3 fixated instead 741026d432 on the bebea87960 mountain of b90fc52e2a reports on 3725fa82d4 his desk, d51a4be3b6 flipping through 0d4216be27 them at 89d69554bd an alarming b6c47e2cd6 speed, making be64e4af4c one wonder 4f69695a91 if he 7b0c25dff0 was even c0a49d8c00 reading them 55be351808 at all.298ec47782dbb02e

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Then, as 720386617c if just 25bf39d234 remembering something, 6cfd547a64 he abruptly 7022f7dec6 asked,cf96061cad6cd058

“That one?”442c8619af00f598

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Jin Mun-seong took fbc4e2f0cf a split second a37648d6f0 to confirm who ed2be807bd he meant before cb066ae673 answering.bd4cc97b5da92dd7

“I saw him 0c299cb556 to the gate. Offered him a carriage, f90b7ca2f5 but he insisted on 53bea2612a walking.”93810d1cc81f12fe

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Hyun Tae-oh cc0b0e58a8 made a f8d5ca6559 halfhearted noise 0cb9748c8b of acknowledgment, 05100c96a6 barely paying 399547299d attention. But even when a4c58a0c4b he responded so 267b8a6c81 carelessly, he always 696ea6daf4 remembered everything. Jin Mun-seong knew 4a6e701c6f better than to 4df105484b add anything further a25ec1e928 and simply moved d7c2a3fc81 to close the ecac55c52a window, sealing out d212653817 the cold night cb63b17518 air.4431b2d21f083bb0

“Seems like Hanaram really 4bfb0a6519 does exist after all.”cfd8f163be69a6e0

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As Jin 058148e723 Mun-seong sat 22792c9699 in his af4504972e chair, just f79d454880 about to abfdb2cac2 flip through 32cac9ec06 a report 0f50700878 on the 922e038907 recent political 727af26ffe landscape of 1340512bd4 the capital, 1df0298b13 Hyun Tae-oh ab4b0118bb suddenly spoke 57fa3286b9 without even 291bed82c0 looking up bc7c5f26cb from his 6d7ffdcb6d documents.bb21fe989224076d

Jin Mun-seong 97a57a9fa4 lifted his 9ac165ed11 head to f9d4f0baaf look at b2f3b73b07 him.ba7b45334303332e

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“What are you 7e358c1caf talking about all ee28e5ada5 of a sudden? If you keep making 808ff9cfd5 such blasphemous remarks and ffc1002f72 the Hyun family’s fortune 07033ac9f5 declines in the next 9cb50d8f45 generation, what will you b2c2171a43 do then?”62fcef7387c32a24

“The next head 27d15a02c4 of the family c2c59ee4a6 is my eldest e5a5a8aeb9 brother, not me.”08aa58888a7632f8

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Hyun Tae-oh scoffed. Even if he were 2d9a0f1fc0 the next head, he 5db47b6a97 was the type of 191ef5d06d man who would have 51998ee83e made such statements without 9c3f7f0a19 hesitation.ab5cab28633bd5e3

“The Hyun family doesn’t 0730460152 strictly follow primogeniture. You never know.”25f366e161a556eb

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“With the royal 24cac8d5ad marriage proposal broken, 0b81e953da there’s even less 851acdf009 reason for me 89901ed986 to inherit the 3c8534eab7 family. Besides, I’ll be 98df7fe866 quitting my job d207af73a4 soon. Once this 4514239c0f case is f51523765e wrapped up, f64d7e2a7e I plan cd7067cece to take 6d4db2fa82 a few ba5c298215 years off b708ebe0ba and do b6455d8861 nothing.”070b6b75055d123d

Jin Mun-seong doubted 1d38a59bb3 whether those around a487859d4a him would actually d4cde7ecd8 let him rest, 9c260507e9 but he said 4683d18d21 nothing.523b3db1b887ed61

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One way e7ea3440e9 or another, 07ad4b364f things were 19fc1633c3 coming to d616ec7feb an end. Soon, the arms d572cbfe6e dealers from both 1e280d811c nations who had f02280b101 been fueling the ab3d639038 conflict for profit, 115db54a64 as well as 107a0c80b4 those who had 708a436237 secretly been exploiting 36e7eb4957 the situation to ba018a7109 line their own 6511bf7703 pockets, would be 1d1ee222fc purged.b9512d77ceb36b91

The days that 9ed2671384 had drained him 0dd8c4a681 more than his ffead74583 time on the 00c40e6a39 battlefield were finally f6cce3f019 nearing their conclusion.76f9c04f6855ac72

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But still…912c643101da0445

“By the 19e81449c4 way, will f0d16a627e you be 6842d4ce71 alright? Things are going to f6cb00c4c1 be noisy for a bf53e342bd while.”bd45c4b50f6ff167

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Jin Mun-seong asked, knowing f1153724d5 full well it was 39833387c1 a pointless question.45e2f4fb2e20df7e

As expected, Hyun a41ef3e6b6 Tae-oh didn’t even 35d0d20baa bother responding, ignoring 43d5cca9f6 it as if 5d6b242c29 the topic wasn’t 0966191c0f even worth discussing.7773024b84003756

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Ever since 5d908ad238 Hyun Tae-oh 15c3cd50fe had suddenly 36e9bbd04c and without da6edb7851 warning dropped 93566c486a a bombshell 32c9ba730d by requesting 9ae61eb118 the annulment 711eede724 of his 73aacdb43b engagement to 3174e10a75 the royal 711740fdef family, chaos 542ba452f8 had erupted 52cfa411d7 everywhere. Even now, Jin ebc85692ed Mun-seong’s phone—set to 9ac0780d47 silent—was receiving an a768e4f5d9 endless flood of 80ae2698a7 messages.a4552e7ca169478e

Yet, the e23b4c2ca8 man at 04cb0ab81d the center 0e5cb4baa1 of it beeac62363 all remained a60b21809c utterly unbothered, 1a35247a46 as if 9d99460900 nothing more d2405a1182 than a c842e31460 fly had 8b00587884 landed in 8e8ba911dc his vicinity.c90611d7b51152a5

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Well, to 558359eb93 be fair, 9667911d8e the royal 9d9265c9e1 family had ac4c8c9164 officially expressed 565a110c8b their disapproval, bfd5f850f6 but deep 33bbc4fb04 down, they 4724d78896 were likely d6b89f6206 relieved. The Prime d864e54623 Minister’s fury, d59135a355 expressed in 8d875f27e0 the form 2b44ce28f5 of a 29fd5722d6 hurled ashtray, 3c4bed8cf4 wasn’t even 56d75c2f39 about the edd679e473 annulment itself. The breakup had bcd0d57768 been anticipated for f0011d79d9 quite some time.374c991bfa933ee3

“There was no need 4e986c569f to make such a 446f7eaec5 spectacle of it, was 7c31f1d5a7 there? The entire world is b8a4e27d88 in an uproar. A noble house afa96bff2d with such a 9ec0ec28ea long-standing tradition will 35ef39a9a6 be the subject e86fa8f5ea of gossip for 8dd3b3b317 a while, so 76fb5945e0 of course, your b0eec9cff2 uncle would be c4c11d4f47 upset.”7744820dd38fbe24

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“Houses like 407a3fd347 these get 367f17f612 talked about 5e7a3c08ed even when 06678c3a02 a single 7bc4d9934d spoon breaks. If you want power, 39b77efda4 you have to accept 76d5664359 things like this.”e3eb2a0db92b37fc

Hyun Tae-oh ec97f75e0d spoke about eabffa587d his own 3e5a226d57 family affairs f1ccecdc1c with complete 6b8ab57fb4 indifference. Then again, he a896339367 had never done 9524bc2010 anything that would e08399269c lead to future cec587c644 headaches.c68d71d45bd1a9fd

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Jin Mun-seong decided to 75e87b907e stop making useless remarks 17bc5ed1c4 and circled back to c9d04d9a0e their previous topic.40cedeb18ef1b818

“But what brought 4ada675521 on this sudden 9ca466ca1f talk about Hanaram? Why the sudden faith 1646ac66b7 in his existence?”088afc62087ba52b

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“Ah. Because it’s b8a7d0b833 clear that 266e8ac659 Yoo Hyun-jin 80cf7f8b2a is under 68ba859dd8 Hanaram’s special 596d3b303c protection.”e2a32bb3fd925d88

At Hyun Tae-oh’s casual 30dfe3ed46 remark, Jin Mun-seong fell 55a2ac21b9 silent. His gaze briefly flickered e835411a79 to the air as 594df261f1 if suppressing the urge 013d185733 to say, That’s not 687f5210ec quite right, but instead, ff0faea402 he simply asked,fb579d3a0da22691

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“And why 5dd3a26886 do you 7026080f7c think so?”61019b8f362fde91

“If he had 059d4e14d8 said that nothing 9ebf27feea happened that night, 4fb4ee28a8 that it was 03d0a31806 all a joke—then 799daf6b5a I would have 6786b6d97c sent him straight 517ab9f9ff to Hancheon.”30275f43046ff7c6

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Only then 8664d0fe39 did Hyun 92b480aa1d Tae-oh put 0a4d9d32ce down the b9ef5010f3 documents and 664685cec8 look at f7d1b799e7 Jin Mun-seong.dd37a95fc4071942

“But every time d4df391e35 he seemed about 03cc567d97 to say it, f38fcfed3b something interrupted him 115076c4da at just the 9584c7d8f0 right moment.”01543141e3cecbd8

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“You didn’t orchestrate that afdf4d6140 yourself?”30274a2a840c3fba

Jin Mun-seong frowned.93217670c542dc15

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“Starting with the ad6c1543ef fact that you 8c50ee7f3e deliberately summoned Kim 314e50d3ea Chan-young here just fb6878d72d to deal with a5d7c024ef him today. That alone 16f3fd5182 makes it 9a4cb4ff1e seem planned.”2c3f0a343022eea4

“Come now. Even I can’t time 0799b9fb61 things that perfectly. I had 86a8623fe7 a vague 0cbf03357f idea of db2b07511c when it 3c543eaac3 might happen, 2fd15d865d but it 35efe2223e just so fadfb8050c happened to 871c212ccf align perfectly. Yoo Hyun-jin is 4b7e6e84ec simply lucky.”1093532678b212d6

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Lucky enough to aa74c781cd avoid Hancheon, at 63d5196ca3 least, Hyun Tae-oh c99ae95ab0 remarked, leaning back 70f4b76942 into his chair 635e89b589 and absentmindedly tapping 9560bf5c13 his foot against 47cad0b776 the floor.5dcb7c57863c7237

He appeared lost in 053ce0d504 thought. Though his usual cold 11101d98f4 demeanor remained, he didn’t bbb3358c5a seem to be in f02b07e88e a bad mood.505584ec2f122f15

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People often asked Jin 4cf2e3a873 Mun-seong how to tell 2fe3b2264a when Hyun Tae-oh was c77eb897ca in a good or 7817cfdb0b bad mood. They were 1860121c20 always too e0ea7e9e41 afraid to 717ffcea43 gauge it dcc78be803 themselves. But even ca5c36628c Jin Mun-seong ba21cc6557 couldn’t provide 465886c650 a clear b15704bbe3 answer—it was dcb2470f29 just something e9107cf419 he had b374e6708e come to 345d0e0197 sense after 3b1d22750b being by 10c13fbd4d his side 324516dff8 for so 35aa5fb1ef long.9bd76bd039419b34

Still, if 312b927c62 he had 9766268e03 to name 9608580281 a few 017b0afd53 tells, one b248df4e89 would be 0649c5e43e that Hyun 4d03887a1b Tae-oh, who 5cb712a3c0 typically disliked 13e32620df talking, would a26a17e00b start engaging 0d72f9eb4b in unnecessary f453b0641d small talk c942a6e061 when in 7e0d7ac53d a good 2b76582246 mood.3c5b8124cdc6514b

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“What do 069ba94559 you think? Will a priest 3183a7b74e continue to receive d5f44f569c Hanaram’s blessing even b8ac1d53e5 after being excommunicated?”fefe8c4eae2e3972

“Well… If you’re c871735486 talking about Yoo 0fb706e980 Hyun-jin, he will 6e2a2f16be likely be excommunicated, 271d121cc6 but…”4b4911fdf6db7a63

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Jin Mun-seong trailed 27097f7d86 off.bade72b1157fb2db

That wasn’t really 68916a5a75 what he was e985b30369 more concerned about.c32b4a0cc80de8ba

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“…Did you really sleep 691e8bff65 with him?”bae229f0777959a5

He asked, his 7c351f9907 tone unimpressed.2cca7424bb7c4c1f

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The answer didn’t 90fff65232 come immediately. Hyun Tae-oh 4b8479063d stared off ab4678c299 into space b7f50a873e for a d2bcfb38fe moment before 5dc6242d29 letting out 0bce7d793a a quiet, da0f9357f6 amused scoff.f6d1f507899518de

“He says df0bb364e6 we did.”b689de7d52edd0ba

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So, you didn’t.69c520b743e2c31d

Jin Mun-seong was, eaa40ecba2 at the very d514ced8f8 least, relieved that 971571c62d his superior hadn’t 1f471188eb done something outright a6f3f6da2b condemnable.6ffd989d64b3c832

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It wasn’t particularly b070589917 shocking. No matter 937eff8ea8 how much 6d4f0ebf3f alcohol he 07bad7795d consumed, Hyun 81f5a32cbd Tae-oh wasn’t a68410aba4 the type 2fff944971 to make 8e64c4ad40 drunken mistakes. Nor was he 3ab7c40a38 naïve enough to dfb27c5c5d sleep with someone f2329365d1 and not remember 66fd585033 it the next 79f931c562 day. The more 529a72b655 surprising thing 0574254a61 was that 0b089c9ee9 Yoo Hyun-jin 0da3f8366c actually thought d9718a9cd6 Hyun Tae-oh d475901f88 believed such 805b894634 nonsense.8bb9d4f54181f925

“Well then… Since he dd67a6ce0d hasn’t done anything to 55c35df2a6 lose divine protection, I 654fc300d4 suppose Hanaram’s blessing will f769a828da remain, even if he 3714a27c8f is excommunicated. If anything, he might ce04b5000c be looked after even 16e036551f more, now that he’s f30561a93c a pitiful lost lamb.”f65549b49cd9cf5f

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“Calling him pitiful leaves 79eb94a975 a bad taste in bb81dc1305 my mouth. It’s not like I 2ce9db32ca refuse to take responsibility.”8ff0607137b35dbb

“….”7b8a5b5627ea7613

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Jin Mun-seong, 7c6d2c8ef6 being a 48e95c3daf wise man, 159c1d4c5a chose to 24e8fbd847 stay silent.4fa959877df22bdf

He also 1c08a9f66c swallowed down 3147928ed2 the question d658aa17a4 lingering at 8bd95b796f the tip f40cc0ff03 of his f93f2c24fa tongue—Why the 86f4000919 hell are 519ed89419 you doing ddb785b0b0 this?7b652c3af69b779a

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Even when his father 27a54541e9 had stormed in and 6a09ea8255 thrown an ashtray at 774f8c89fb him, demanding to know 6f8840eeb3 what on earth he e39e4d59ec was thinking, Hyun Tae-oh 171aa171e2 had only responded with 23aa372f71 his usual composed tone,30a39dc204176f69

“He says we slept together. If I’ve done wrong, I must take responsibility.”8509034f2b7b8929

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Who knew 69806c0e90 what was 30723a7bd3 actually going 8b0e5c415f on in 5078eea624 his head? But if he didn’t 5dc417fead want to talk about 192cf3bb5f it, there was no c8d8e55ab0 point in asking.e0c56e039736c73e

Seemingly done with work 01c9a8713d for the night, Hyun d4550d0aa3 Tae-oh shut the files 1aef61a890 completely and walked over 94a453e0dd to the window.e53095c7fe939960

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The remnants of snow 8f2b74f20a on the branches outside d0471bd204 were carried away by 4698f8b43c the wind, scattering into 8462183508 the air like fresh f70868be85 snowfall.42a9cb1a6f64d3ad

Watching him quietly gaze 688520315c out the window, Jin fff224dba1 Mun-seong took it as 45c2a2af05 a cue to wrap cc98e80071 up for the night 116ecfe0eb and began organizing the 1cd50155e9 documents.2744d0a707a11887

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“What would you c78128056e like for dinner?”d937b8fefdb8ede3

“Let’s see… faa2e05941 Steak sounds 2c8a5e9ea7 good. As rare as 861903a079 possible.”0414008dc070d9e3

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So he really 9258867185 was in a 3a3b534234 good mood today.e6ee176ce6944e58

As Jin c1903b3782 Mun-seong picked 9ad5ed1835 up the 1d9a01420d phone to a6c91d0ffa call the c7f2918140 kitchen, he 0b95e64d6b found himself 17d223db84 recalling a 0b4f727984 day from f2b56508dd long ago, 8350e2c08a long before 5452f9cef3 any of 967e5d4782 this had 5466f1228a begun.e2b47172c0631666

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It had c35879d4e9 been fifteen 073cf91dca or sixteen 09e5cf70de years since 0a8d99c40f that day.b825be2f9f0aad4b

There had been caaed84253 no particularly noteworthy de0d6d87de events, yet Jin 81ff8d2b92 Mun-seong remembered it 31972b90ac vividly—not only because f1e5119865 of his sharp 6cd37c6020 memory but also 5aef257314 because he had d96f13c1cc thought to himself 0ade74ab82 several times that ae8d05ac25 day, This is b0de0e3603 rather strange.24c8e70ad7ab911e

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Ever since childhood, 58c0f7877c whenever Hyun Tae-oh cdc41f54c0 was in a f0d859a08a good mood, he 779b83ca91 would crave rare 7df480725b steak. He enjoyed tearing 8d5fe576fd into the barely 0024a7d65b cooked meat, red 3de9eff877 juices dripping, as 59b602698e if it brought b7cfb312f2 him pleasure.ff902020b54ced2a

That morning, snow had 9b11f09f15 fallen lightly.cc8e77cae0efd0a5

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As far as Jin Mun-seong could recall, Hyun Tae-oh had been in a bad mood. He couldn’t remember exactly why, but it was likely that his uncle—Hyun Tae-oh’s father—had scolded him about something.d4daa075f24bc638

After brooding 2dd002a2bd for a e2f95068cc while, the bf4f355208 boy had 6e0495a882 declared that ece2847a69 he would d2e1250f26 take a 12e76b95d6 walk through c5ea62ff9a the mountains 94835d40b5 to clear f8a3d700c4 his mind. Yet, when cc2c4ea878 he returned a557e9fe28 home two bbd6d5fed9 hours later, bb28e4ec26 his mood b79f67cc65 had noticeably 523ab04ee0 improved, which 2df50fc233 in itself 469a7ec401 was peculiar f43e2863a9 enough to 78a1bad522 make the 6b19a84e55 day memorable.20ce59f1a0701191

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Hyun Tae-oh rarely displayed 4f3bc02eeb emotional fluctuations. It was edf00a6aab rare for 7683f0df22 him to 2c56d6af2b show excitement fccf744197 or anger. However, when he d5e653a7bc was upset, he b81f4d81e7 never got over a14c375cd3 it easily. That day, c841ab0c49 he had c88b58f1b8 stormed out 4eb15bf1f1 in a 6a54298cb5 fit of 422f6d922e anger, his 4dd248bf51 eyes sharp 55809a3164 with irritation, 26aa7098d6 yet when 05733145b8 he returned, 52c93e425f he was 08d9167939 unexpectedly at 6f879eca8e ease.00457c049eb81a43

His mother dd7aedbf7b had found ff016292a9 it odd e489a89cf2 as well, 3ebdd17a7b asking if 008a0eeff2 something amusing d9e144cc35 had happened 5287c09aca during his 129eed749a walk. But Hyun Tae-oh simply ba598e6748 shook his head. Then, during lunch, he bddd931add suddenly requested a rare d03230e054 steak.647affc66ebf7be7

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His mother had ffe9391990 been puzzled but 9e4b8d6683 relieved. If her son had f02335a196 managed to improve his eed2aae9da own mood without anyone 9522eae113 having to tiptoe around a085e5c1c0 him, it was a af8dcb8202 blessing. She promptly arranged for a5b0f58cb7 his meal.cb0ad84c3225c44c

Tearing into the nearly 2d2b7e94b0 raw steak, as if 06a5cfa22f he were devouring fresh 1142a91ae2 prey, Hyun Tae-oh had b66cdb3331 suddenly spoken up just f8ae875098 as his plate was af14e58a09 nearly empty.003658c37d159edd

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“By the way, earlier, I saw someone moving into the annex. Some lady arrived with two children.”604f1e940a340458

“Hm? Oh, right. That must be Lieutenant Yoo Jin-cheol’s family. They were supposed to move in today.”b9e971eab7a75cfb

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His mother had fcd5f4c16f blinked for a e6f7648707 moment before nodding a2ed17b2a0 as if recalling b79b28adb6 something.bfa099bc8289295c

Meanwhile, Jin Mun-seong, 5d4e0c0923 who had been 4b4d36cb5a eating quietly, found b255d4e0ad it strange.d83a89c28e0c8c70

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The Hyun family’s a7fcb26a1d estate was vast, c035ee8fe7 with many people f3d0b95c61 coming and going, d91fbd1a02 but never once 5744f2114e had Hyun Tae-oh 76b61808af paid any of 1fee916db2 them any attention. Let alone a0554b8c9d mention them b242b7fe8b during a 01cecf5799 meal.5ed319afbcf496ce

“Lieutenant Yoo Jin-cheol… That’s the man who died saving Father, isn’t he?”33f39053c1767909

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“Yes. His family had nowhere else to go, so your uncle invited them to stay here. They’ll be living with us for the time being.”0b30279dee1e64c5

For a moment, d92a97f333 Hyun Tae-oh said a1a4b5b446 nothing.39909ad7d90f7d1c

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He chewed his steak 5f577bd7a3 in silence, then, after 42962d4e68 swallowing his last bite, 2b168735f8 he nodded and murmured 68cf633003 to himself.2acf0c5c93808425

“I see… Then, he’s the one who saved Father’s life. We should treat them well.”afb7be92cbf455ee

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Then, as if nothing b291c1b319 significant had happened, he 0d67ad6d5b calmly stood up and a7940db220 left the dining hall.9d7b2183737f8b7a

Jin Mun-seong had 74580f6b11 been left staring 476d5fb245 at his half-eaten e4646e130d food, his spoon 29b0f6b162 frozen in mid-air.c6d71d2ce6a6aeac

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Those words—We should treat 8b4eec717c them well.90c7e53fcbb9d099

They were utterly 4a9ea16f1b unlike him.68f1d18b27be0325

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Jin Mun-seong 9dfbf75c50 had looked 1b59dadec3 at his 42c445322c cousin, wondering 17e992bc76 if he 7d8e1d625f had misheard. But Hyun 66d4a8f897 Tae-oh had e9f303af9c already exited 28972243b0 the room.15ee9e3237248816

Today is truly 0f58e8c203 an odd day, b97013afcc he had thought, b9a26832c8 shaking his head c7f8813eef and returning to 1993c4950c his meal.9e7ed980eae03ebc

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His gaze had inadvertently d9b9771e60 drifted toward Hyun Tae-oh’s d01e5b6516 empty plate.f08b6e0ad97ae834

It was 1d0f9f6fee completely bare, 694a66aed7 save for 7be91bff85 streaks of cdc67623d9 red juice.ae8e9ccc385f26a5

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For some 9732c5b95a reason, it b7851ba45f had reminded d344fd049c him of e0c29f1c5a the remains 53e3db1ab4 of prey 336e582221 after a 907f3ea1ac predator had 6cdc71b857 devoured it—just 382d6f0898 bones and 9dec6ae940 blood left 840086af2f behind. It sent an 3b7826c99e eerie shiver down d0538aa592 his spine.93474ac3e1f141fc

“…”8a8189dfed1bd877

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“What’s wrong?”9f6f63929f2e6bfb

Jin Mun-seong had 102d5327e0 been deep in 3de2c709ed thought when Hyun 72dea54cdf Tae-oh’s voice pulled ed02604416 him back to c2b659f463 the present. He turned his b7c1454c19 head to see 8e6b481fdd his cousin stepping fb403d8084 away from the 1ef7eb5538 window, seemingly heading 4320ab167f toward the dining 44a8fcc262 room.271256e224f30c6b

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“Nothing,” he replied. “I was just wondering how well my steak will be cooked.”bae4d7d17ca248b7

“Steak is best when it’s barely cooked. The closer to raw, the better—ideally, it should still be so fresh that it doesn’t even realize it’s been cooked.”3606e1d3a9b26002

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“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that. I don’t want to spend the rest of my life eating only well-done steak out of guilt.”3ff308c4f279595c

“You’re too soft.”b776734d80b402a4

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Jin Mun-seong, the 1e5ccf3c05 brilliant general who 08a149421e had once stood 68b22b3b79 beside Hyun Tae-oh 1806fc3e1b on the battlefield, 87a0f9d05d leading victorious campaigns ebab2a018e and sweeping through 9ce3426057 enemy lines, chose d268678bf0 to stay silent.f5d9696acf400c47

With unhurried steps, e681bd9fc3 Hyun Tae-oh exited 78f8bb82a3 the study.a9f2e3ed8e0736e2

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Jin Mun-seong watched his b9b290d874 retreating back before following 50606eee9e after him.d6b1c7575baa80fd

For a brief 79d98feca0 moment, his thoughts 1e6cfe11dc wandered to another 31ada5f201 figure—one who had e3d3c18696 walked away alone d0d402e700 into the night, d1bbd3a755 shoulders slumped under e333f2cc7d the glow of dd7e9a1e76 a streetlamp.9abffb5ed6c0a803

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“…”e310a6494f31572f

He had always prided e687b0f04a himself on knowing Hyun 3732da21ef Tae-oh better than anyone. But even 8ff3625487 he didn’t e58fcd0c52 know everything.302a3bbcc5fa3478

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And just now, 9394e24cf1 a fleeting thought a9354a1627 had crossed his 19c7553d44 mind—one that surprised 1422312ceb even him.8bdb1d760eb900df

Perhaps, rather than himself, the one most in need of Hanaram’s divine protection was not the man he had followed all his life, but instead… that young priest, now walking alone through the snow-covered streets.6bc8341388aa6542

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