“Please don’t speak ill of my sister! If you’re going to talk like this, I’ll take my leave now.”

Getting more and more excessive, Ms. Park’s behavior made Yeon-woo turn away in frustration.

Upon doing so, Ms. Park called Yeon-woo once again.

“Yeon-woo!”

Expecting someone to change was probably a mistake.

Regrettably, Yeon-woo’s footsteps were once again caught by Ms. Park’s calling voice.

“……I sincerely apologize for everything until now.”

A genuinely apologetic tone, never heard before from Ms. Park, flowed from her lips.

“When your father passed away, and the family was in dire straits. I thought the only way to revive our family was for Yeon-ho to succeed.”

For Ms. Park, Yeon-ho’s success meant the family’s success and hope.

If Yeon-ho succeeded, the family thought they wouldn’t have to worry about their livelihood.

If Yeon-ho reached a high position, they wouldn’t have to struggle in the dilapidated thatched house.

“In the end, I’m sorry, Yeon-woo. I considered sending you away to Young-gam, who’s completely out of touch. I must have been out of my mind.”
They all thought it would lead to happiness.

“I thought that I could sacrifice anything for Yeon-ho’s success. Even if it meant your sacrifice.”

Sacrifices for Yeon-ho’s success were inevitable, and even his daughter was not an exception.

For the path of Yeon-ho’s success, it seemed as if he wanted to pluck the stars from the sky.

“But now, I realize that I was wrong.”

She had not known how much Yeon-woo suffered due to the discrimination caused by this. The words, “Have you ever thought of me as your child?” echoed deeply in Ms. Park’s mind.

The path that Ms. Park had thought was right turned out to be wrong, and the shock hit her.

However, it was an irreversible situation that she regretted the relationship that had already occurred.

Ms. Park, looking at her daughter’s back, finally spoke the words that she should have said long ago.

“I won’t ask for forgiveness. But know that my apology was sincere.”

“…….,”

Emotions welled up in Yeon-woo’s throat.

In the sudden change in Ms. Park’s attitude, Yeon-woo struggled, unable to find a way to direct her feelings of hatred and resentment.

“When you want to come back, you can come back anytime.”

Unable to forgive or hate Ms. Park, Yeon-woo just pressed her lips together.

In the end, turning away from Ms. Park’s gaze, she fled the worn-out thatched house.

As she walked toward home for a long time, Bi-yeong looked at the now red-nosed Yeon-woo with a worried expression.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine.”

Feeling choked up, Yeon-woo answered, pretending everything was fine.

Even though she had apologized to the family that had tormented her, she couldn’t understand why her heart felt so heavy.

After walking for a while, they arrived in front of Yeon-woo’s house.

“Today, I showed Uncle something he shouldn’t have seen. I appreciate your help in various ways.”

“Don’t say that. I’m the one who feels sorry.”

“What do you have to be sorry for, Uncle?”

“If I had known earlier, you wouldn’t have had to go through such hardship.”

Yeon-woo felt Bi-yeong’s gaze filled with guilt.

Bi-yeong had treated Yeon-woo like a younger sister since childhood. His compassionate nature toward Yeon-woo, who had always been weak, was a predictable reaction.

Understanding how Bi-yeong felt so tormented, Yeon-woo, who had been treated as a sister, felt a poignant emotion.

“I deliberately kept it a secret, so how did you find out? It’s not Uncle’s fault.”

“Still…”

When Bi-yeong couldn’t shake off his guilt.

Yeon-woo approached him and hugged his waist with both arms.

“!”

The fragrance of lotus flowers emanated from Yeon-woo, wafting through the air and brushing against Bi-yeong’s nose.

Although Bi-yeong’s body stiffened like ice due to the sudden embrace, his heart burned like a blazing fire.

At that moment, Yeon-woo, who tightly embraced Bi-yeong, opened her mouth.

“You came here to help, didn’t you? You stayed by my side, didn’t you?”

“…….,”

Bi-yeong looked down at Yeon-woo, who hugged him tightly.
Merely by looking, how could one feel the desire to hold tightly like this?

Wondering if Yeon-woo could hear the crazy pounding of her own heart, Bi-yeong held her feelings in check.

“Having you by my side alone is reassuring. That’s more than enough.”

Yeon-woo’s warm body temperature and her warm words tickled Bi-yeong’s heart.

However, not long after the ticklish feeling, anxiety crept into the space.

Yeon-woo, who had been together since childhood, thinking that she would be with Bi-yeong even in the distant future, was a delusion.

How long could I stay by your side?

What should I do to stay with you forever?

Bi-yeong suppressed the words he couldn’t express outwardly.

Then, as if reluctantly, he moved his heavy lips.

“……Alright.”

The short hug was brief. When Yeon-woo, who had embraced Bi-yeong, let go of her arms, the warmth that had been embraced dissipated into the air.

Yeon-woo, who stepped back a few paces, smiled at Bi-yeong.