-This is a huge deal. Wonhwi, what will you do now?
I have been through so many crises until now, but this was the first time I felt the situation becoming this twisted.
I can figure out what he was imagining by looking at Sima Chak’s face and his gaze.
Calm down.
Let us think about something. We need to think about how to overcome this situation.
-I don’t think this is a situation that can be solved with words. Those eyes are saying that you left his daughter behind to turn your eyes to another woman.
You didn’t have to say that.
I thought I was about to lose it, but then Sima Chak said,
“What do you mean?”
Ah…
He asked the question.
“My daughter?”
His voice wasn’t simply cold anymore. It felt like the north winds were coming at me to freeze me.
I realized that I had to make this clear.
The most important thing here was to not step back.
“I was caught in a trap and was imprisoned in the dungeon.”
“So…?”
“In the prison there…”
Before I could finish, Sima Chak warned me.
“I don’t want a lie in it.”
My heart pounded as it was about to run out of my chest.
This was quite intimidating for me. A thought went into my head. What could I say to defend myself with as few lies as possible?
-… would something like that work?
I have to do it.
Otherwise, the iron balls in Sima Chak’s fingers would immediately launch toward my head.
I was about to continue talking, but Jin Song-baek interrupted me and said,
“How can you pressure someone like this?”
Seeing his actions, it seemed like he was trying to protect me. This bothered me as well.
I felt it after showing him my mother’s keepsake. I felt that this man knew something about me.
“I told you to not intervene in my affairs.”
“This is not your affairs.”
Then again, it seemed like they would end up fighting again. I had to explain.
But if I hid behind my father, I’d be targeted more, so I carefully thought about this.
“Thank you, but please leave this to me.”
“Young warrior?”
Jin Song-baek frowned at my words. He must be wondering why I was refusing his help.
“Since I asked permission with my mouth to date his daughter, it is right for me to clear up this misunderstanding.”
“… those words were true?”
“Yes.”
Jin Song-baek didn’t seem to believe what Sima Chak had said.
Seeing this, he sighed very faintly. It seemed like he wasn’t happy about me doing that.
I politely bowed and continued.
“When I was locked in the prison, there was just one other person there besides me.”
Sima Chak crossed his arms and asked.
“And this person was the woman?”
“… Yes.”
“Continue.”
“I was discovered by her while escaping from there. The woman and I fought against that man there as he discovered us, but due to his martial arts being strong, we were injured.”
This might make more sense, then.
A person who faked another’s position by being as skilled as the original.
“At that time, in order to repay the favor of being released from prison, the woman hid me and took the role of bait.”
“Hmm.”
Sima Chak frowned.
“She could have deserted me and fled but instead sacrificed herself.”
“You said she is a woman, but she was truly amazing.”
Unlike Sima Chak, Jin Song-baek liked her.
If someone listened to this story without knowing her true identity, they would also be impressed. However, I now have to convince Sima Chak.
“After hiding me, the woman was eventually captured by him. To be honest, I was quite worried due to how strong the man’s skills were. But how could I leave a woman who sacrificed herself for me to die?”
“Is that why you saved the woman?”
This was the time to lie.
I needed to tell them that Baek Hye-hyang had already escaped.
It was because the fake had continued to call her a descendant of the Blood Sect to involve her in the mess here.
-What will you say?
I needed to say that she had already escaped before I arrived.
Well, she walked out of prison on her own, and it was better to not say anything more after that.
At the moment that I chose to speak…
[Which of the two was it?]
I was shocked at Sima Chak’s question.
It was because of his sudden question. Which of the two? What did he mean?
[I am asking, was it Baek Hye-hyang or Baek Ryeon-ha?]
‘…!?’
I was now speechless. I didn’t expect those two names to appear now.
[Did you think I knew nothing?]
‘….’
[It is really stupid to think that a father would meet his daughter and not know what happened before.]
Ah…
I didn’t think of this.
While I was kidnapped by Sima Chak, there was no way Sima Young was silent. So she must have said something to convince him.
Sima Chak looked at Mu Ack.
[He said he caught the descendant of the Blood Demon. He boasted that he had evidence for it. He said it was one of them, and I am now asking you who.]
I was careless.
The opponent, too, must have used any means possible to live.
I couldn’t help but feel stupid for not thinking about that.
And now, any attempt to make up an excuse wouldn’t work. Besides, Sima Chak was talking this way because he didn’t want others to know of my identity.
[Why aren’t you speaking?]
[Baek Hye-hyang.]
I told him the truth. A false explanation wouldn’t work.
Sima Chal’s expression changed, but he continued to stare at me.
[Baek Hye-hyang is someone who will be your enemy, from what I heard. You tried to save her?]
[… I couldn’t just let her go because she sacrificed herself for me.]
[To repay the favor, then?]
[I couldn’t allow myself to let it happen. It’s not because I wanted the woman or anything.]
I spoke the truth. And Sima Chak snorted.
[That is funny. Did you save your political opponent within the sect who should have been defeated by your hands? And still, you speak about not being selfish?]
[Senior. I…]
[Fine. If that is what you say, then prove it.]
[Uh?]
[Since the favor has been repaid, isn’t it okay to kill her now? Bring that girl.]
I couldn’t answer his unexpected words.
Baek Hye-hyang was already released. Now I have to bring her here?
[If you were to fight with the girl for the position of Blood Demon, where else would you get such a chance? If you are not selfish, this shouldn’t be that bad…]
[Are you asking me this morally?]
[That…]
[Instead, it is fine. Is it right for me to show my morality to everyone?]
[What do you mean?]
I have no idea where he was going with all this, but then Sima Chak suddenly turned to Guyang Gyeong and said.
“Guyang. Breaking the pact we made when we were young will go against my morality.”
Wait, what now?
“Are you still not bothered about making a marriage contract before their birth?”
“Will you accept my son?”
Guyang Gyeong couldn’t hide his happy expression.
“Senior!”
Sima Chak snorted at my cry as if he didn’t even hear it.
I never thought things would come to this.
“San! Come here and greet uncle Sima, no, your father-in-law.”
Hearing Guyang Gyeong’s words, the young man with thick eyelids came running from a bit further away.
It was a frightening sight considering it was Sima Chak he would bow to.
“Greetings to senior. I am Guyang San.”
Looking him up and down, Sima Chak said in an unbothered voice.
“It’s not bad. He seems to resemble you and has a good body.”
“He is a child that still lacks a lot. If hyung becomes his father-in-law, then you can teach him.”
As soon as that happened, Guyang San immediately bowed.
Although he was one of the Four Great Evils, he was also one of the five strongest beings in the Murim.
Strangely, his eyes wouldn’t even waver at his father’s words.
“Please take care of me, Senior…”
“Huh! How can you call him that!”
At Guyang Gyeong’s scolding, Guyang San shouted.
“Father-in-law!”
I was flustered at Sima Chak’s actions, who clearly didn’t want to stop.
He was clearly continuing with this to teach me a lesson. I knew that he was impatient when it came to things, but this was still too much.
For the first time, I felt more hatred for this man rather than fear.
Wouldn’t it be better to look at this man as the father of Sima Young and nothing else?
“Senior!”
“I have nothing to say to you.”
It was then.
“Father!”
A sharp cry pierced the air, and I turned my head at the familiar voice.
From between the crowd, a young person stepped through.
-Isn’t that Sima Young?
She was wearing a human face mask.
I didn’t think she would come here. Sima Chak shook his head.
“Did you not trust your father and decide to come all the way here?”
“That is not the problem now? All of a sudden, some man is calling my father as father-in-law, and you want me to just continue to watch?”
“Huh.”
“I am a fool for trusting you, father. I was worried that you might harm the young lord, but now you are trying to separate me from him?”
Sima Young was angry and began to argue.
I, too, wanted to say something, but this seemed like a father-daughter thing, so I decided not to.
Sima Chak clicked his tongue and looked at me.
“He had his chance. And your father is trying to stick with morals now.”
“Since when did father stick with morals?”
“The one who mentioned morals first is that guy,”
“Do not act like a jerk to your son-in-law!”
It was my first time seeing a daughter being so aggressive toward her father, so I was shocked. Jin Song-baek, who was watching this, then asked me.
“That young man is wearing a mask too?”
He must have been puzzled since the voice was that of a woman while the face was that of a young man. I nodded my answer.
In the meantime, Sima Chak scolded Sima Young in a cold voice.
“You. Who said I recognized him as my son-in-law?”
“You said you would acknowledge it if he endured it in that place.”
“He didn’t stay until the deadline.”
“The place was flooding over. How can he fill in the deadline? You want him to die?”
“Are you saying it is fine if he doesn’t follow your father’s wishes too?”
“Does he have to follow your words at all costs? Good, father can do what father wants, and as your daughter, I will do what I want.”
Sima Young pulled off her mask at that moment and revealed her beautiful face.
The people who saw her face exclaimed in admiration. Even Guyang San, who was bowing, could not take his eyes off her as if possessed.
“What are you doing?”
At Sima Chak’s question, she smiled.
“This.”
Sima Young turned around to me, I thought she was coming here, but she moved to where Jin Song-baek was.
Sima Young put her hands together and bowed. I wanted her to stop.
“Miss Sima! Wait…”
Before I could stop her, Sima Young said
“Sima Young, who will be your daughter-in-law, greets you.”
“Daughter-in-law?”
Jin Song-baek’s expression went stiff at her sudden words.
Seeing that he was puzzled by her words, Sima Young asked me.
“Did you not tell him yet?”
… Yes
I didn’t reveal it all yet.
