The Return of the Namgoong Clan’s Granddaughter - Chapter 97



Only Noblemtl

Episode 97

Soyak looked down at his small hands.

“If I die, my dad will be very sad. Because there will be no one to tell him every day that he loves him. There will be no one to hug him every day. There will be no child to give him toys every birthday. I… .”

Tears welled up in the child’s eyes.

“I… won’t be able to be by your side, Dad… .”

Gulp, tears flowed.

The child who had decided to be tough soon forgot his decision. However, he did not burst into tears.

Perhaps it was a habit that had long been going on, but Soyak swallowed her sobs.

“Be my brother… I’ll give you everything.”

Soyak pushed his treasure bundle in front of Hwarin.

It was a memory that Soyak had kept with his father. Soyak was ready to hand over everything to the person who would become his father’s new child.

“huh?”

Hwarin couldn’t answer.

When Soyak was bragging about her father, Hwarin was actually thinking of her own father, Namgung Cheongsan.

My dad is like that too. Their dad is cool too.

I was thinking about something like that, and then suddenly I was told to become someone else’s father’s daughter.

“Hwarin, just a moment.”

Yoo Kang came forward and tapped Hwarin’s shoulder, who was frozen in a daze.

Hwarin stepped back in relief at his bright smile.

Yugang sat down in front of Soyak with a thud.

“Will you be my brother?”

“no.”

Soyak became gloomy.

Yoo Kang patted So Yak’s head.

“Wow. You come up with such wonderful ideas. Your father would be so happy.”

Yoo Kang pushed the package back in front of Soyak.

“But, it’s better for you to have this. It’s what your father gave you.”

“But… I can’t play with these anymore… And these are the best things I have.”

The most precious treasure you can give to your new sibling. The greatest gift a child can think of.

“Your father probably chose those things with you in mind. If any other child had them, he would only be sadder.”

“…I wonder?”

Yoo Kang nodded.

“And family isn’t something you can buy.”

Among the treasures of Soyak was a small statue that looked like it had been carved directly from wood. It must have been received a long time ago, as the statue was shiny all over.

Soyak picked up the statue and held it carefully.

“Actually, I don’t want to give it to you either.”

“Yes. It’s yours.”

It wasn’t just the statue that the child didn’t want taken away.

Soyak continued in a hoarse voice, rubbing his nose.

“Can you tell I’m crying?”

“No? Not at all.”

Yugang smiled and brushed away the dirt from Soyak’s eyes.

“You’re strong. You’re weak.”

* * *

An evening with flickering lanterns.

The door opened quietly.

Soyak, who was looking at the moon rising outside the window, opened the door and smiled brightly at the person coming in.

“dad!”

Maeng Deung-ho also smiled at his son. He naturally sat down next to his son’s bed.

He placed a rough hand on his son’s forehead as he lay down on the bed, covering himself with the blanket.

The child’s lips formed a curve.

“What did you do today?”

“I played with my friends! We showed them watercolors, played hide and seek, and played catch.”

“friend?”

“These are the new kids who came to Suchae today. They are an older brother, an older sister, and a girl of the same age.”

Maeng Deung-ho thought about the three children he had seen during the day.

Namgung’s daughter, who was kidnapped by his subordinates, and two new children who had arrived.

‘One of them had mastered the art of volcanoes.’

One person is….

‘Was it a woman?’

Unlike the boy, it seems like he didn’t learn anything. Since he had such a weak presence, I don’t remember him very well. Rather than that.

‘I should check to see if Namgung’s daughter is doing well.’

Not long ago, a lender from the Blood Evil Clan, which has its base in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, proposed a deal.

The deal was to bring Namgung’s daughter in exchange for a cure for his son’s arrhythmia.

It was an offer that Maeng Deung-ho, who had been visiting doctors all over the place to cure his chronic varicose veins, could not refuse.

I don’t know if the owner of the blood loan has a true cure for varicose veins, but if there’s even a slight possibility, I have no choice but to try.

“… That must have been fun.”

“Yes. I’m going to play tomorrow too. I’m going to go fishing tomorrow. I’m going to catch fish with the net that Dad made for me. If I catch a lot, I’ll give some to Dad too!”

“okay.”

Maeng Deung-ho’s gaze looking down at his son was infinitely gentle.

“I’m looking forward to it.”

* * *

After Soyak returned, Seolhwa and her party headed to the barracks they had been assigned to during the day.

Yoo Kang carried the sleeping Hwarin on his back and walked ahead without saying a word.

After the incident with Soyak, Yoo Kang’s expression was unusually dark.

I don’t know what he was thinking, but he became quiet and didn’t say a word after Hwarin fell asleep.

Seolhwa also had a lot to think about after hearing Soyak’s words, so the two headed to the barracks in silence.

As they reached the barracks, Seolhwa stopped walking.

– He’s Chae-ju’s son.

At Seol-hwa’s words, Yu-gang also stopped walking and looked back at her.

– Jin So-yak. He is the son of Maeng Deung-ho. The reason his last name is different is because he took the last name of the deceased Maeng Deung-ho’s wife.

“I see.”

I thought so, but I had a rough idea of ​​what to expect.

After all, he must have seen the thieves who were following Jin So-yak around all day and keeping an eye on Jin So-yak’s every move.

“This is an opportunity.”

At Seolhwa’s words, Yugang slowly closed and opened his eyes.

– If you take Jinso-yak hostage, you can easily escape from here.

Under the moonlight, Yu-gang and Seol-hwa looked at each other with unwavering gaze.

After a long silence, Yu Kang opened his mouth softly in a voice that seemed to permeate the darkness.

“Why are you saying things you don’t mean?”

“…what?”

“If that’s the way you say it is, then it’s worth a try. But… I don’t want to do that.”

I don’t want to take Jinso-yak hostage.

Seolhwa unconsciously clenched her fist.

“…Why me? Why do you think that would happen?”

Taking the weak hostage is the easiest way to pressure the enemy.

Jin So-yak was clearly Maeng Deung-ho’s son. Moreover, he did not doubt them at all.

‘This is a good opportunity for the hostage to come to me on his own two feet, but I don’t want this opportunity?’

That’s funny.

All my experiences from my past lives and my survival instincts are telling me that if I miss this opportunity, there will be no next time.

“I am….”

“you.”

“… .”

“You look like you really want to cry right now. You know that?”

My heart thumped and sank. My mind became clouded and my thoughts stopped.

‘I… want to cry… ?’

Seolhwa placed her clenched fist on her chest.

Before I knew it, my heart was pounding. It felt as if my heart was fiercely rejecting the decision I had made in my head.

‘refusal….’

Why?

Surely, there is such a clear method, so why do I feel like rejecting it?

‘… Are you feeling… sympathy…?’

What about the true medicine?

I was confused. I felt out of breath from the unfamiliar emotional turmoil.

As Seolhwa slowly took a deep breath, Yugang’s voice came into her ear.

– Let’s wait a little longer. Fortunately, we are in a situation where we can take care of Hwarin.

Seolhwa looked at Yugang.

Yoo Kang smiled faintly as if everything was okay.

“Don’t be so impatient. It’ll be okay.”

* * *

The next day.

Soyak came to see Seolhwa and her party early in the morning.

When Soyak suggested that they go out to the river to catch fish, the three happily followed him.

Yesterday, we looked around the structure of the waterway and the fence, so today was a good opportunity to check out the terrain of the waterside and the waterway’s boats.

“If you put some rice in here and throw it in, you’ll catch some fish.”

“wow-”

“Should I throw it to you? Far, far away?”

Seol-hwa sat under the shadow of a large boat and watched three people huddled together on the riverbank to cast their nets.

Seolhwa let out a sigh without realizing it.

‘Is it okay to be this relaxed?’

I don’t know. I need to get out of here as soon as possible.

‘Namgung will be looking for us.’

The face of Namgung Cheong-un, who must have been deep in thought, came to mind.

I felt sorry for him, who had already lost his daughter once, and was going through the pain of losing another.

‘I guess I can’t be a good daughter.’

Sul-hwa let out a low sigh and turned her gaze to Jin So-yak, who was chatting excitedly.

‘Maeng Deung-ho’s son. Jin So-yak.’

Last night, when I heard the story of Jinso-yak, memories from my past life that I had forgotten came back to me.

It was a story about Maeng Deung-ho’s son that I had heard in passing and had not deeply remembered.

‘I heard you suffered from tachycardia as a child.’