Chapter 22
Unlike the mansion, this house had staff moving about in full view. It would be perfect if she ran into someone right now.
Just as she scanned the hallway with a hopeful heart, she saw someone.
Behind a life-sized bust, a small child kept peeking curiously in her direction. It was one of Hyunha’s relatives. Yeongin, who had been watching, called out to the child.
“Hello. What are you doing there?”
Would this child know the way if asked? Before Yeongin could satisfy her curiosity, the little girl scampered forward and stopped in front of her.
Her hair flowed past her shoulders, reflecting the light with a silky shine. It was meticulously cared for.
“Are you the friend Hyunha brought?”
The word “friend” carried a strong note of sarcasm.
“Dirty.”
The insult hit like a slap across the face, sudden and sharp. Yet, Yeongin calmly looked at the child before her.
“Why am I dirty?”
The girl flinched, as if unsure how to reply.
“Because you’re leeching off oppa.”
The words echoed what the adults had been saying behind her back. Now she knew what they had been whispering.
“What’s your name?”
The question caused another flinch.
“Choi Yeyul.”
Determined not to show weakness, Yeyul lifted her chin as she spoke.
“I’m Baek Yeongin. I’m the same age as Hyunha, so I’m older than you. I—”
“I didn’t leech; I asked him to.”
Before Yeongin could finish, Choi Hyunha’s voice interjected.
Yeyul’s eyes darted nervously at Hyunha’s sudden appearance behind her. Yeongin craned her neck to look up at him. Whenever Hyunha appeared, the atmosphere completely shifted.
Even the proud members of this household seemed to shrink at the sight of him. Not simply because he was the beloved grandson of their grandfather—there was a more primal fear at play.
Yeongin sensed that the people here genuinely found Hyunha unsettling.
“Why would oppa ask?”
“Because this sister is someone oppa needs.”
Yeyul, deflated, glanced back at Yeongin.
“So don’t bother her.”
Hyunha bent his knees slightly, as if to meet Yeyul at eye level, but she only shrank further.
“Even if I do, it will only be me.”
He whispered something into Yeyul’s ear, kneeling down to the small child.
“If anyone else bothers you… well…”
The words ended, and Yeyul quickly nodded, retreating to the opposite side. Why she had been so frightened was beyond Yeongin, but Hyunha did not stop her.
“If someone bothers you, tell me.”
Instead of following the child, Hyunha came to stand beside Yeongin. She brushed her heated cheek. The warmth made it sting, but she endured it.
Would she always be treated like this whenever she was near Hyunha? Clinging to the exceptional Choi Hyunha, treated like some clingy nuisance…
“What if you bother me?”
“Then you bother me back. Get revenge.”
The idea was laughably impossible, yet saying it outright felt like defeat.
“You won’t regret saying that, right?”
Yeongin tried to act tough, and Hyunha momentarily wore a serious expression, though he quickly smiled again.
“I won’t.”
He gently took Yeongin’s hand.
“Come on. I’ll take you to your room.”
Her heart began to beat strangely, a fluttering like ribs being tapped from the inside. Nineteen winters old—an age when one still didn’t know there was nothing in the world that could be certain.
Yeongin felt like a spectacle. No, she really was a spectacle.
Whenever she crossed paths with Hyunha’s relatives, they didn’t hide their curiosity, staring openly at her. The child she had met when lost had been simpler; at least the little one had no pretense.
Even after breakfast, when returning to her room, it was the same.
“Hello. You came with Hyunha?”
Hyunha was occupied with his grandparents, leaving Yeongin alone. A well-dressed couple greeted her with smiles.
“Hello. I’m a friend of Hyunha.”
Polite as she was, the couple immediately resumed their own conversation.
“His father always liked beauties, didn’t he?”
“If it weren’t for Soo-hyuk, would Dad have let such a girl into the house? She couldn’t even cross our threshold otherwise.”
They spoke their family history openly, treating Yeongin as if she were invisible. The woman even tapped Yeongin’s chin.
“You’re better than Juran.”
A twinge of awkward shame hit her, and she smoothed her face. The couple left without another word.
Visits to the villa were always like this—ignored or made a subject of amusement. Yeongin had expected discomfort, but experiencing it was like sitting on a bed of nails.
So she had chosen to escape alone. Sitting beneath a low white wall, she sighed. It was adorned with reliefs of flowers and fruit, purely decorative.
From this spot, she could turn her back on the villa and see the lake through the trees. It was a perfect hideaway. The lake reflected the sunlight, with willows and plum trees swaying nearby. The despair from earlier melted away.
She brushed her hair back and inhaled the crisp air. The view was breathtaking.
Of course. That’s why they built a villa here. The wealthy always want to monopolize beauty.
Crunch, crunch. The sound of footsteps on dead grass reached her ears.
Yeongin instinctively ducked. She didn’t want an awkward encounter with Hyunha’s relatives, nor their lingering gaze. She slipped behind some bushes to peek.
Familiar faces. Choi Hyunha and Lim Kwonho were approaching together. Kwonho’s face twisted in disgust, his expression shouting irritation. Was he asking about something? Or cursing? His lips moved frantically.
Hyunha whispered something to Kwonho. Kwonho’s face flushed red and blue. His sudden pace almost revealed them, and his body stiffened.
“You bastard!”
Kwonho stomped near Yeongin, close enough she could see him if she looked. After venting his anger, he turned and faced Hyunha again.
“…If it’s really over, throw it away. I’m just advising you for your sake.”
Hyunha’s voice carried faintly. Kwonho leapt and grabbed Hyunha by the collar. Would this escalate to a fight? Yet Kwonho froze mid-action.
Hyunha’s lips moved, though she couldn’t hear his words. Kwonho hesitated and released his grip, retreating like an animal sensing dominance or a dog shriveling before a familiar alpha.
“I wouldn’t have brought it. Crazy to bring it in front of Mom and Grandpa.”
“You did bring it at last year’s family gathering.”
Kwonho flinched, trembling, yet unable to restrain his fury. He didn’t rush Hyunha again, but clenched his fists and glared.
“Grandpa may not know what kind of bastard you are, but I do.”
The more Kwonho raged, the colder Hyunha appeared.
“What did I do wrong? You’re the one harassing innocent people.”
“Huh…”
Kwonho let out a frustrated sigh.
“It’s because of that girl, isn’t it?”
Yeongin pressed her thumb nail against her palm, leaning against the wall. Her chest tightened despite having done nothing wrong.
“Right? That’s why you act like this. All the unusual behavior is because of her, isn’t it?”
“Think whatever you want. I said it for your sake.”
“Are you even capable of thinking about others?”
Even amidst Kwonho’s spiteful taunts, Hyunha remained unmoved. She could see why the family’s opinions were split. Few would side with Kwonho, even now.
“Blood doesn’t lie. You’re just like your dad, a psychopath, you bastard.”
“…”
“At this rate, you’ll die just like your father.”
Harsh words, yet Hyunha didn’t react. The cold silence cut between them. Kwonho revealed his guard, leaning back already.
“Do you want me to test if I can really be like Dad?”
Hyunha stepped forward. The sound of dry grass under his feet rang unusually loud.
