37
The woman gave up trying to dissuade me and quietly focused on clearing the table. In no time, she had neatly arranged everything, placed six teacups on a tray, and skillfully prepared tea. It seems there’s no share for Omega father this time either.
“Is there anything else after tea?”
I asked in a slightly tired voice, and the woman answered with a small “No.”
“After tea time, everyone goes home, so please bear with it a little longer.”
“Well, that’s one good thing.”
As I let out a hollow laugh, my pocket vibrated. As expected, it was Lee Gyeongjin.
—Young master, I just bought it.
“Ma’am, could you please open the front gate a little? Mr. Lee, the gate will open, so please come to the front door.”
The woman hesitated briefly, but at my urging, she secretly moved toward the intercom and opened the gate. I slipped out to the front entrance to wait for Lee Gyeongjin.
“Young master. Young master?”
Lee Gyeongjin called out happily, then his face registered shock when he saw my face.
“Your face, your nose…”
“Some things happened. I’m sorry for calling you in the middle. Do you have what I asked for?”
“It’s here.”
I received what Lee Gyeongjin handed over, put it in my pocket, and said, “Thank you.”
“What happened?”
“Now is not the time to talk about it. I’ll tell you when I get the chance. I’m in a hurry, so I’ll go back in. I’m sorry.”
“Ah, yes.”
Leaving a bewildered Lee Gyeongjin behind, I went back into the house. The woman was just bringing tea to the living room. I followed her to where the family had gathered.
I assessed the situation carefully. Grandfather was sitting comfortably in the main seat, family members were sitting on either side just like at the dining table, and Omega father… had a basin of water and a dry towel prepared at Grandfather’s feet, kneeling quietly.
This is truly too much. And what about the family members watching this scene? I can understand the eldest and second sons being from the previous wife, and the sister-in-law not being blood-related so she can’t easily speak up. But I really don’t understand what Alpha father is thinking, keeping his mouth tightly shut in this situation after desperately begging Omega father to sleep with him.
“Wow, our grandfather is getting a foot bath.”
I approached Grandfather with a foolish smile. As soon as I opened my mouth to speak, the family members’ faces hardened again. I could clearly feel their thoughts: “What is this bastard trying to pull now?” Amidst this, I strode over to Grandfather’s side.
“Why hasn’t this brat been dragged out yet?”
Grandfather spoke to Alpha father in an angry voice.
“Oh my, why are you like this? I’m also a part of this family’s bloodline and a child of this house. If you act like this, strange rumors might spread outside. That would disgrace the family.”
“Look at the way he speaks. This is why they say you must be born from good stock. Born from unknown stock, how could a child from such a womb be normal?”
I don’t know who decides what ‘good stock’ is. In the end, if you trace it back, we’re all equally descendants of Dangun Grandfather. I guess he didn’t grow up hearing that song.
“Well, our grandfather sure has a refreshing personality. You just say whatever comes to mind, whether others want to hear it or not. You should have gone into politics. You’re better at blurting things out than most politicians. You have such a good voice.”
I helped Omega father to his feet and took his place, sitting down. I sat cross-legged and rolled up Grandfather’s pant legs.
“Today, your youngest grandson will give you a foot bath. Grandfather must be so happy. You have a grandson who gives you foot baths. Right? Who does this sort of thing these days? Everyone is too busy with their own lives.”
I busily moved my mouth, praising Grandfather one moment and praising myself the next, beating the drum and playing the janggu. I grabbed Grandfather’s feet, which were tensed up in displeasure, put them in the water, and scooped water with my hands to splash over his legs.
“Why are you all just standing there? The tea will get cold. Drink your tea. Father, please sit down. Is this the first time you’ve seen a grandson showing filial piety? It seems the children of this house have never shown filial piety in their lives. What’s so fascinating that you’re all staring? As if you’ve never washed Grandfather’s feet before.”
I turned to look at the family members, and they averted their gaze as if afraid to meet my eyes. From above my head, I heard a suppressed groan.
“Oh my, Grandfather. The dead skin is coming off in clumps. Our grandfather is rich in dead skin, rich in dead skin. Even if it’s difficult, you should bathe often. If you don’t bathe because it’s hard and troublesome, you’ll get sick. I prepared something to give you a refreshing wash.”
I took out what I had asked Lee Gyeongjin to prepare for this moment. These days they come in various colors, but I specifically asked Lee Gyeongjin to buy a green Italian towel. I put it on my hand, soaked it in water, and quickly scrubbed Grandfather’s feet.
“Argh! What is this!”
Startled by the stinging sensation, Grandfather flailed his legs. I held his legs firmly with both hands and rapidly scrubbed his feet with the towel-covered hand.
“This is the best for removing dead skin. Oh my, look at these calluses. Grandfather, you don’t need insoles when you wear shoes. This heel is several centimeters thick.”
“This damned brat.”
Unable to shake me off his legs, Grandfather lifted his foot and kicked over the basin. The water from the overturned basin drenched me. Soaked from the splash, I shook my wet hair and showed the Italian towel on my hand.
“Are you not in the mood for a foot bath today? I specially prepared this, but you can’t tolerate a little sting?”
In truth, it was probably more than just a little sting since I scrubbed with all my might. The evidence was the red marks streaked across Grandfather’s legs.
I grinned broadly, and Grandfather kicked at me. Hit by the strong old man’s foot, I rolled over on the wet floor.
The family members hurriedly moved aside at the unexpected water incident. They stood dumbfounded, looking down at Grandfather and me. When I tried to imagine what they might be thinking as they looked at me, it made me laugh. The only word that would come to their minds would be “crazy.”
“Make sure that bastard never sets foot here again.”
“That’s not right. I’m coming back next time. And the time after that, and the time after that. I’ll keep coming until you die, Grandfather.”
“Don’t ever open the door for him. If you bring this bastard, know that you won’t be allowed here either.”
Grandfather spoke firmly, and I grinned from where I lay on the floor.
“Even if they don’t bring me, I know exactly where this place is. I’ll come by myself and shout at the gate to let me in. Because I’ll miss Grandfather so, so much. If rumors spread that the Chairman of Hosan Hospital is coldly leaving his grandson outside the gate, ah, that would be truly embarrassing. Those who should know probably already know, but there’s a world of difference between whispered knowledge and having definitive evidence spread around.”
“What exactly are you trying to do!”
Finally, Grandfather yelled at me. It seems he had been talking about me to the other family members as if I wasn’t there, but it had become too difficult for him to maintain that pretense.
Now you see me? Now you see me as a person?
“Why are you so angry? Today I served your meal and even gave you a foot bath. You’re too harsh, getting angry at a grandson who’s showing filial piety. I don’t know how to please our grandfather.”
“This kid, still!”
As Grandfather approached me with big strides as if he was going to step on me, Alpha father held him back.
“Father, let’s calm down. He’s just an ignorant child acting out. I’ll make him understand.”
“You! You didn’t listen to me and brought in someone of unknown origin, and this is the result? What a disgrace!”
“I’m the one who got hit and soaked, so why am I the disgrace? This is Grandfather’s disgrace.”
“Cha Sukyung!”
As I stood up speaking, eldest brother, as if finding his timing, cut in and called my name sternly.
Hey, it seems like you want to chime in, but you’re hopeless. You’ve kept your mouth shut until now, so speaking up now won’t get you any kind words from either Grandfather or me, so just stay put.
“Grandfather, treat people like people. You’ve been well-educated, aged gracefully, accumulated wealth, raised your children, seen your grandchildren, and own a respectable hospital, but what if rumors spread about these things happening in your home? Everyone would rise up. If I posted this online, people would say it’s fake. Where would such things happen these days? If it’s confirmed to be true, you’d gain a hundred thousand antis overnight.”
“Y-y-you… that mouth!”
“Is there anything else? I’m looking forward to what’s next. What comes after tea time and foot baths?”
With my clothes completely soaked from the foot bath water, I grinned with a refreshed face. When I tilted my head looking at eldest brother, he backed away with a completely disgusted expression. He looked like a child afraid of getting smeared with excrement if he stayed near me.
I turned to look at second brother, but his expression wasn’t much different from eldest brother’s. I thought the younger one had a somewhat crazy personality, but it seems he has a timid side that prevents him from speaking up in situations like this.
“Lock him up in a hospital immediately. His mind seems completely gone, put him in a mental institution right away.”
“There are so many exposé programs these days. What if I really go crazy and send them my story? You know how popular chaebol issues are, right? So don’t say things you don’t mean.”
Grandfather took a deep breath and stared with bulging eyes. Even if you open your eyes that wide, lasers won’t come out. Don’t collapse from high blood pressure, just relax.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
