A few hours earlier, in the hanok annex of the Hwangmyeong Mansion.
“Is my answer enough?”
At some point, the emotions in Eunho’s young eyes disappeared.
Jeokho was distracted by his friend’s voice and almost nodded without realizing it.
But Jeokho shook his head.
“…I understand why you made that choice, Eunho. But there’s still something I don’t understand.”
“Go ahead.”
Jeokho asked three questions.
First, doesn’t Eunho miss his descendant?
Second, why did Eunho hide his descendant?
Those two were already answered, but the remaining one was unaddressed.
Jeokho asked explicitly.
“Why don’t you want to meet your grandchildren?”
Eunho’s descendants were in the main house of this mansion.
If Eunho wanted, he could meet his grandchildren safely inside the mansion without being disturbed by anyone.
The only reason why the descendants haven’t met him yet was Eunho’s intentions.
“You’re not the head of the Tiger Clan anymore. Besides, your daughter has already passed away. The future that you read is no longer valid.”
“…Yes, it’s the result of that price.”
There was no trace of regret in Eunho’s voice.
It was painful that his daughter has passed away, but if he were given the same scenarios, it seemed like Eunho would make the same choices all over again.
Eunho was determined to sacrifice again for his descendants.
His demeanor only deepened Jeokho’s curiosity.
“Then wouldn’t there be no problem if you met your grandchildren now?”
Eunho looked at Jeokho but did not answer right away.
“Whatever my reasons were, the fact remains that I abandoned my child. How can I dare meet my grandchildren?”
“Eunho…”
“It’s hard to keep avoiding them. We’ll meet in Eungwang High sooner or later.”
“So do you intend to talk to them once you enter school?”
Jeokho seemed to want to make Eunho meet his descendants.
Jeokho values his son so much, and Eunho knows that this was the reason why he was adamant.
However, Eunho had no intention of meeting his descendants.
“Only if necessary. But I’m not going to reveal that I’m their grandfather.”
“Then isn’t that meaningless!”
Jeokho raised his voice.
His words were still polite, but his anger was conveyed clearly.
“I would’ve regretted it even after I died if I hadn’t made up with my son. I can’t let you, Seoho, Iho, and Jaeho go through the same thing.”
“You and I are different, Jeokho-nim. But I know you, and I know your descendant well.”
Before Eunho continued, Jeokho jumped out of his seat.
He knew he couldn’t beat Eunho with words, so he decided to take action.
“Let’s go see the children now. They’re still awake.”
Jeokho was ready to drag Eunho to the main house at any moment.
Eunho recalled the time when Jeokho came to him and confessed his sins.
At that time, Eunho was forced to entrust Hwangho with a temporary leadership position since he became weaker day by day as a consequence of going against the will of the heavens.
Eunho, who heard of Jeokho’s sin, advised that if Jeokho wanted to save his son, he should kill the head of the Bear Clan before confessing to the others.
Scared, Jeokho got up right away and headed to the Bear Clan.
Jeokho looked the same at this moment.
‘I thought having reflected on his sins for a long time and having made up with his son would change Jeokho-nim’s temper…’
Eunho expected Jeokho to understand.
Contrary to his expectations though, the fiery temper of the young Jeokho made an appearance.
It was both pleasant and alarming to see.
‘I wonder what changes happened when I was asleep that caused Jeokho-nim to be like this?’
As if reading Eunho’s thoughts, Jeokho smiled and spoke.
“That day, Jo Euishin revealed without consent what my son and I did behind each other’s backs. Thanks to him, I was able to talk openly with my son.”
Eunho was deeply impressed.
He heard that Jo Euishin was involved in the reconciliation between the two, but he didn’t know that he used such a method.
As expected of a sunbae that he respects.
Although because of that sunbae, Jeokho was about to explode.
“Someone should play the role that Jo Euishin did, so I’ll drag you over there with my own hands.”
Eunho, who had been praising Jo Euishin in his mind, came to his senses when he heard that Jeokho wanted to drag him by force.
‘I can’t beat Jeokho with force.’
Even if Jeokho was downgraded to a legendary status, it remained unchanged that he is a warrior who fought on the front lines.
On the other hand, Eunho’s light skill and skills were not fit for combat.
He only knows a few boundary skills and healing skills, both unfit for a fistfight.
Eunho was definitely at the bottom of the list in terms of combat power in the Tiger Clan.
Eventually, Eunho decided to use another trick.
“…I understand, Jeokho-nim. I will meet the children.”
“Good decision, Eunho! Let’s go right now.”
Jeokho was delighted, almost wanting to carry Eunho on his back right away.
Eunho smiled softly and calmed Jeokho.
“I am in the appearance of a 16-year-old Cheon Eunha at the moment. If I want to meet those children, I have to change to my adult appearance first.”
“Those children will want to meet you in whatever appearance you have.”
“You have to be considerate to the children.”
Eun Seoho and Eun Iho were 16 years old.
No matter how unimportant apparent age is for royal lineages, it would be strange if their grandfather suddenly introduces himself in the appearance of a child.
Jeokho wanted Eunho to meet his descendants as soon as possible, but he reluctantly nodded.
“Then we’ll stop by your annex to get you ready.”
They left the hanok annex and headed to where Eunho was staying.
In front of the modern annex, Eunho restrained Jeokho from following him in.
“Jeokho-nim, can you call a shuttle in advance?”
“Alright.”
Jeokho accepted without much doubt.
The moment Eunho entered the annex…
Click, click.
Wiiiing…!
A mechanical sound rang loudly as soon as Jeokho’s back was turned, and the whole annex began to close.
All the doors of the modern annex with the latest security tech were locked, and solid windows began to descend over the glass windows.
Dumbfounded, Jeokho shouted as he stared at the closed house.
“Eunho! What are you doing!”
[Is it not obvious?]
Eunho answered through a piece of communication equipment.
Of course, Jeokho knew what was happening but the situation was just ridiculous.
Jeokho spoke furiously.
“Didn’t you say yes to what I said? You said you would go see the children!”
[I said that I understood what you wanted to say, Jeokho-nim. I will have to meet those children. Someday.]
Eunho didn’t lie.
However, it was clear that he tricked Jeokho.
“I will break this front door with my own strength!”
The furious Jeokho launched his energy waves and shot a red bolt of lightning at the entrance.
Jwiiii! Fwaa!
However, the lightning was offset by the bond between gold and silver.
Hwangho prepared the security features in advance in consideration of Eunho’s safety.
But looking at the color of the energy waves, it was clear that Eunho reinforced Hwangho’s boundary skill with his own.
‘Should I just go to the main house and bring out the descendants? No, Eunho would run outside while I go pick them up. Should I call them through a device? Wait, there could be a secret escape route inside the annex…’
Jeokho’s head turned and turned, but he found no answer.
Eunho was checking him through the security camera, but Jeokho couldn’t see him.
‘Eunho might risk going outside. I can’t do that!’
Jeokho thought hard and spoke threateningly.
“If I attack like this with my red thunder, the descendants in the main house would notice!”
[The main house is beyond the maze garden built by Hwangho-nim. The won’t be any disturbance heard outside.]
Jeokho was angry, but he knew that Eunho was right.
The maze garden and the golden fence have the strongest boundary made by Hwang Jiho, and they were the perfect walls that blocked the mansion from the outside world and the annexes from the main house.
Jeokho finally decided to do what he initially intended.
“Then I have no choice. I’ll break down this annex!”
Fwaaa!
A red thunderbolt struck the house again and collided with the boundary made by Eunho.
* * *
A lot of things happened yesterday and today.
After staying up all night, I was hit by a fantasy shown by the former head of the association.
I met Baekho-gun and my angel who waited for me.
Then, after sleeping in the mansion, I drank poison-flavored medicine and headed to the Tiger Clan’s garden.
After watching the torture play for several hours in the garden, we heard about Pungbaek and Usa.
Everything was somewhat absurd, but I can confidently say that this situation was the most unreal.
‘Am I looking at the wrong thing?’
Hwang Jiho pressed his temples and Kim Shinrok blinked repeatedly as they watched Jeokho launch bolts of lightning.
Baekho seemed to be worried about his brother’s safety, but he was relieved to see that the silver boundary was in good shape.
Looking at the tigers’ faces, they all seem to think the same thing.
“…Jeokho, what are you doing.”
When Hwang Jiho finally asked, Jeokho responded with a bright face.
“Hwangho, you’re here. Please get rid of the boundary quickly.”
“I’ll listen to you so stop launching lightning first. I don’t want to see my friends fighting right now.”
Hwang Jiho looked up at the camera lens installed at the front door.
“Eunho, what’s going on?”
[Jeokho-nim is threatening my freedom.]
“I can see that. Let’s talk face to face.”
[…]
Eunho seemed to hesitate
Is he worried about Jeokho?
Or perhaps he’s worried that Hwang Jiho and Jeokho are on the same side?
I had no clue what was going on so it was hard to judge.
“Eunho, open the door.”
[…Baekho hyungnim?]
“As long as I’m here, Jeokho or Hwangho can’t hurt you.”
Baekho’s voice was still cold, but it was relieving to hear.
My main playable character was truly caring for his younger brother.
Though Jeokho seemed to disagree.
“You’re going to defend him because you’re his brother?”
I don’t think Jeokho is in any position to say that, knowing that he’d do the same for his son.
Kim Shinrok was here, witnessing everything going on.
Is that really okay?
Kim Shinrok wasn’t reacting much, but he was probably thinking he was seeing something he shouldn’t see.
I understand that the Tiger Clan values their families.
Click.
Click, click.
Perhaps he believed Baekho-gun, Eunho started to open the door.
While the door was opening, Eunho’s voice came up again.
[…I can’t keep my hyungs waiting outside.]
Soon, the door opened and Eunho appeared.
