118.
Now their positions were different. Maina was mischievous but not stupid. In fact, it might have been because she was smart that she tormented Yu Jin in such a way. But now their situations were reversed. In this situation, what choice would Maina make? As Yu Jin was thinking this, Maina finally revealed her purpose.
“I’m getting married.”
Yu Jin was a little surprised.
“Who are you planning to marry?”
“I’m going to marry the eldest son of the Grisen Count family.”
“Ah, that person.”
He was someone Yu Jin had seen at this party. With his large build that seemed clumsy, he somewhat resembled a bear. Yu Jin had heard his reputation in social circles was good, but he wondered how he had decided to marry someone like Maina.
‘Is it love?’
Love sometimes moves differently from one’s will, like a storm, so it might really be that.
“The wedding will be in a month. I don’t need any support.”
“You don’t need the family’s support?”
“That’s right, just let me go. From now on, I’ll live quietly without causing you any trouble.”
Yu Jin rubbed his chin with his hand.
“Can you really do that?”
At those words, Maina flinched and spoke with desperation in her voice.
“It’s true. I can at least assess the situation.”
Then Maina bit her lip hard and unexpectedly said:
“I’m sorry. I apologize for tormenting you all this time. So can’t you just let me go? I don’t want to end up like the first mother. If you want, I’ll apologize more properly.”
“I wasn’t the one who harmed her, though.”
“I know. I know, but now you’re capable of doing it.”
Maina seemed genuinely afraid of retaliation from Yu Jin, who had become the family head.
‘What should I do?’
Yu Jin recalled all the things he had endured from Maina. There were many memories as he had been tormented countless times. But tormenting Maina in return wasn’t to his taste. However, he didn’t feel like just quietly letting her go either.
‘But I’ll be busy for a while.’
No matter how he thought about it, he didn’t have the leisure to deal with Maina’s affairs right now. So he decided to just give a light warning for now. He could properly resolve Maina’s issues after overcoming Leviathan.
“Alright. I’ll do as you wish. But live quietly like a dead mouse. If I hear even a rumor that you’ve tormented someone, I might recall past events.”
“I-I will. I’ll live quietly. I swear on my name and God.”
Maina, who finished her oath with a stern face, awkwardly bowed and disappeared with quick steps.
For now, there was no need to be wary of Maina. Then what choices would the remaining Azeth, Ahmed, and Roena make? It seemed Roena would try to avoid direct confrontation, but it was still hard to guess how Azeth and Ahmed would act.
‘Well, it doesn’t matter either way.’
This wasn’t the weak Yu Jin of the past. Whatever the other side did, he could return it in kind.
Everything in Lucid was moving quickly. Right after the funeral, the acting head seized power. With the Emperor’s recognition, it wouldn’t be long before Yu Jin officially became the head of Lucid.
By this point, Azeth’s anxiety had reached its peak. In this situation, her daughter Maina left Lucid’s mansion without warning. Upon later inquiry, it seemed she had decided to stay at her soon-to-be husband’s mansion. This was something usually not done due to others’ eyes, but Maina didn’t hesitate.
Azeth, who learned this fact through others, unconsciously blurted out in disbelief:
“Huh?”
Even though she was her birth mother, Maina had acted alone without saying a word to Azeth. Azeth knew Maina was seeing someone, but she didn’t know she had decided to marry. The fact that Maina had moved alone like this in such a situation probably meant she had no intention of opposing Yu Jin. Azeth rubbed her furrowed brow with her finger. Then she asked her daughter sitting in the chair in front of her:
“So, Roena. Are you going to act like your sister?”
“It’s not a bad idea.”
“Roena!”
“Don’t shout. Even if I wanted to, I can’t. I don’t have anyone to marry right now.”
If she lowered her standards, there would be many people to marry, but Roena didn’t want to do that.
“Alright, then what are you planning to do now?”
“Well…”
Roena smiled ambiguously with a cunning face. Although she said that, she probably had prepared a way to survive. And that way likely didn’t include following her mother.
“I must have raised my children wrong.”
“How could that be your fault, Mother?”
It’s Lucid’s fault. Lucid managed children deemed lacking in ability from a young age accordingly. This generation was the same. Girls who were judged not to be heir material from the beginning were educated to be used for expanding connections with other families. Yu Jin, who had no background, was abandoned outright, so in reality, only Grein and Ahmed received proper education from Lucid.
“Still, you’re better than Maina. At least you came to see me at the end.”
“I’ve always been better than my sister.”
Roena, who put down her empty teacup, bid farewell to Azeth.
“I hope we meet again someday.”
With that, even Roena left, leaving only Azeth and Ahmed. Ahmed, who had been leaning against the window listening to his sister’s words, took a deep breath. His vision blurred with anger and his teeth gritted, but he endured it well to the end.
“To think that’s also my sister!”
“Ahmed.”
“If it weren’t for Mother’s words, I wouldn’t have let her go!”
“She’s still your sister.”
Azeth tried to calm Ahmed with a tired voice.
“And now we too must make a choice.”
Although it was delayed due to the funeral, they were originally supposed to leave for Azeth’s family home.
“Wasn’t that the result of Father’s coercion?”
“Still, it was the family head’s order.”
“He’s no longer the family head now. Because he’s a corpse.”
“That’s true. But Ahmed, Yu Jin will soon take the position of family head.”
Usually, there’s a grace period before ascending to the family head position, but this time was recognized as an exceptional situation, so all schedules were moved up. It was obvious that Yu Jin wouldn’t sit quietly once he became the family head. He seemed to intend to let Maina and Roena go safely, but would he extend that mercy to Azeth and Ahmed as well?
“I can’t trust Yu Jin.”
So it seemed better to go to her parents’ home before retaliation came. After all, Azeth was once a beloved daughter. Her parents would try to help somehow now that their daughter was in danger. Lucid might be a great family, but what could they do to Azeth who had officially divorced and returned home? At least they couldn’t touch her openly.
“I think the same. But…”
Ahmed gritted his teeth. It was too unfair to back down like this. The family head position should have been his, but how did it end up in Yu Jin’s hands? Ahmed’s insides burned with dark anger.
“The assassins are still active, right?”
“Yes. Once Yu Jin becomes the family head, the shadows will stick to him. They probably think this is their only chance. I heard they recently decorated the garden with an assassin’s head.”
“…Yu Jin did?”
“I don’t think he did it directly. There’s that guy who’s always with him, right?”
“Jinhyeon.”
“Yes, I hear he deals with almost all the assassins.”
“Does he have that kind of skill?”
“He must, if he’s killing them like that.”
Azeth straightened her posture and looked at her son.
“Ahmed.”
“Yes, Mother.”
“I’ve been thinking, shouldn’t we leave the mansion soon too?”
“Do you mean go to your family home?”
“Yes.”
Most of those they had allied with had already disappeared or turned their backs. Even her daughters had found their own ways to survive, so what was the point of struggling here any longer? Was there really a chance of killing Yu Jin? He had endured well even when more formidable people sent assassins. Rather than risking danger by getting involved, it seemed better to hide at her family home and pray for a chance that might never come.
“Let’s go, Ahmed.”
Ahmed looked like he had a lot to say, but in the end, he nodded.
“Good boy.”
Azeth said this as she carefully embraced Ahmed. Not knowing what thoughts her son was harboring inside.
A sharp sword fell onto the spine of a man lying on the floor. The man tried his best to hold back his scream but couldn’t.
“Aaargh!”
At the erupting scream, Jinhyeon immediately kicked the man’s head.
“Noisy.”
The loud scream disappeared in an instant. Only then could Jinhyeon handle the assassin more comfortably. First, he cut the tendons of the limbs so the assassin couldn’t escape, and if he still struggled, he touched the spine. Then he searched the mouth for any hidden poison, completing the initial measures. After that, he would hand the assassin over to Keith, who would find out the identity of the person who sent the assassin.
Due to the large number of assassins, it wasn’t easy to sort them out, but it was a necessary procedure. This way, they could properly retaliate after fully swallowing Lucid later. Yu Jin had decided not to be victimized anymore. So Jinhyeon intended to actively cooperate with that. For this reason, he would process and hand over the assassins, and use the remaining ones to decorate the garden.
