“How many hours were you standing?”

My aunt said this while patting my back.

“Take that fellow away and cane him. Then watch him stand for half a day.”

“…”

“He needs to learn how hard it is to stand with an aching body.”

As soon as my aunt finished speaking, the warriors behind her appeared.

They left, taking the servant with them. I brightened my eyes while nestled in my aunt’s arms. My legs were sore, but not to the point of collapse.

I had deliberately fallen when the dagger uncle told me someone was approaching.

I felt no guilt for acting. The servant would suffer greatly from the caning.

But he didn’t consider my circumstances, so I had no reason to think of him.

Rather, I felt grateful to the servant. My aunt’s appearance was expected, but I didn’t know exactly when.

And I didn’t know how to approach my aunt.

But with the servant’s help, I was able to catch my aunt’s eye.

‘I need to get close to aunt.’

This was the real start of the original story.

The conflict that would arise between Nam Gung Hyun Jong and Nam Gung So So when she returns.

It was a battle between good and evil within the Nam Gung family. But the Nam Gung family ends up as villains in the original story.

Because aunt eventually dies.

I looked at Nam Gung Yu Cheong.

I could see him looking at me with worried eyes.

His eyes as dark as the night.

Nam Gung Yu Cheong will lose those eyes soon.

Was it just his eyes he lost?

He starts to suffer from severe internal injuries.

It was a wound that couldn’t be healed even with the rarest of medicines. The promising sprout of the Nam Gung family was trampled just like that.

‘It was by the demon… But there were many suspicious points.’

Aunt feels great guilt because of that incident. Guilt for not being able to protect her young son.

The guilt became a heart demon, and it consumed Nam Gung So So.

‘Grandfather killed the demon for revenge, but the lost eyes couldn’t be restored. Nam Gung Yu Cheong’s body only grew weaker.’

As time passed, Nam Gung Yu Cheong eventually dies. Aunt also passes away after suffering for a long time.

I deliberately trembled more pitifully. Nam Gung Yu Cheong startled and came to me, placing his hand on my forehead.

“Mother, I think the child is very sick. Her whole body is shaking.”

At Nam Gung Yu Cheong’s words, aunt hugged me even tighter.

“This is why I didn’t want to come into this family. The state of this household is terrible. You poor thing. Are you Hyun’s daughter?”

I carefully nodded. For some reason I couldn’t understand, aunt’s face turned red.

She fanned herself with her hand while repeatedly patting my back.

It was the most frustrating scene to watch in Cheonma Jijeon.

All the people who showed Ji Cheon Wu that the world was warm ended up dying.

That’s why Ji Cheon Wu thought he was cursed when he was young.

As my thoughts reached that point, I realized something.

‘Wait, then what happens to me?’

Cold sweat ran down my back at this sudden realization.

[This is the timeline separator]

It was truly an uncomfortable situation.

I diligently used my chopsticks while looking at the people around me.

‘So grandfather had gone out.’

The servant said grandfather didn’t come out because he didn’t want to see me, but that wasn’t true.

Grandfather had gone to greet aunt and Nam Gung Yu Cheong.

He had made me wait for a grandfather who wasn’t even present from the start.

‘A family dinner, of all things.’

It was such an unprecedented event that I didn’t know where to eat.

Grandfather sat at the head of the table, with Nam Gung Hyun Jong and aunt seated on either side of him.

Next to Nam Gung Hyun Jong were Nam Gung Hwa Su, first aunt, and Mo Yong Hee.

‘First aunt has returned.’

It seemed first aunt, who had been at the Mo Yong family for a while, had returned in time for aunt’s return to the family.

She was glaring at me with a vicious look.

‘She must have heard that Nam Gung Hwa Su was beaten by me.’

Ignoring first aunt’s gaze, I took the seat next to aunt.

That’s right.

I was now seated between Nam Gung Yu Cheong and aunt.

Displeased by this arrangement, Nam Gung Hyun Jong and Nam Gung Hwa Su were glaring at us.

Nam Gung Hyun Jong sneered at aunt.

“I thought you had left the family for good, but you’re back.”

“Why would I leave the family for someone else’s benefit?”

“W-What did you say?”

“Brother, you look healthier. Your belly seems to have grown a bit too.”

Nam Gung Hyun Jong’s face turned bright red at aunt’s reply.

“You… How dare you speak so rudely!”

“What are you talking about, I meant it as a compliment. Does it hit too close to home?”

At aunt’s words, Nam Gung Hyun Jong couldn’t find a retort and trembled in anger. I heard the dagger uncle’s exclamation.

[My, she has quite a way with words.]

I agreed with uncle’s comment. Grandfather was the one who stopped their conversation.

“Stop making a fuss.”

As soon as grandfather spoke, both of them shut their mouths.

‘Come to think of it, things went by without much incident.’

I examined Nam Gung Hwa Su’s face. Sensing my gaze, he frowned and turned his head away.

Since our fistfight last time, Nam Gung Hwa Su hadn’t picked any fights with me.

‘Uncle is quiet too.’

The same went for uncle.

There was no way Nam Gung Hyun Jong didn’t know about the fight between Nam Gung Hwa Su and me.

‘He would have said something normally.’

Nam Gung Hyun Jong didn’t say anything to me. As if Nam Gung Hwa Su had never been beaten.

My reverie was broken when Nam Gung Yu Cheong spoke to me.

“Try eating this.”

I looked at Nam Gung Yu Cheong with wide eyes.

That wasn’t the end of it.

Not to be outdone by Nam Gung Yu Cheong, aunt also offered me food.

“Say ah~. It’s tastier than you’d think. You need to eat a lot to be healthy.”

Seeing them, Nam Gung Hwa Su gritted his teeth. I didn’t refuse the food offered by aunt and Nam Gung Yu Cheong.

Aunt’s cheeks reddened.

She looked at me and murmured quietly.

“My goodness, so cute.”

She gently caressed my cheek.

“Just like a dumpling. I always wanted a daughter…”

“…”

“If I had a daughter like you, it would have been so nice…”

Just like the dagger uncle called me a dumpling, aunt did the same.

‘What does it mean to be like a dumpling?’

Aunt kept looking at me with a pleased expression.

‘Was aunt like this with Nam Gung Lin in the original story too?’

I vaguely understood why Nam Gung Lin became more twisted after aunt’s death.

It’s often more upsetting to learn about something you didn’t know before. If Nam Gung Lin had never known family affection, wouldn’t she have been a little less twisted?

As aunt said she would have had such a cute daughter, Nam Gung Yu Cheong was seen clearing his throat.

“Yu Cheong isn’t cute at all.”

Watching them, I kept my mouth shut.

I knew how much aunt cherished Nam Gung Yu Cheong, despite her words. After his death, aunt lost her mind and wandered around the Nam Gung family compound.

[Child… Where did you go, Yu Cheong…

Yu Cheong, where did you go leaving this mother behind…

Nam Gung So So wandered the Nam Gung family compound every night, ceaselessly calling for her son. But there was never a response.]

I had shed tears seeing how poignantly Cheonma Jijeon described aunt’s feelings after losing Nam Gung Yu Cheong.

‘Why are good people always unhappy?’

Looking at aunt who kept exclaiming how cute I was, I made a resolution.

To prevent the tragedy that would befall her.

‘The problem is I don’t know exactly when Nam Gung Yu Cheong will be attacked by the demon.’

[This is the timeline separator]

Nam Gung Hwa Su gritted his teeth in frustration. Not only was he upset from hearing harsh words from Nam Gung Jin Cheon, but an annoying brat had appeared.

Nam Gung Yu Cheong.

The boy who exuded extraordinariness at a glance irritated him even with his actions.

‘Grandfather doesn’t say it, but he seems to like that lowborn brat.’

Nam Gung Hwa Su couldn’t understand why he bore the Nam Gung surname.

No, it was more accurate to say he couldn’t accept it. He asked Mo Yong Hee:

“Wasn’t aunt supposed to have left home?”

“Don’t worry about it. Nothing will change just because that woman has returned.”

“…”

“To be so arrogant, bringing a son of lowborn status…”

He had heard that his aunt Nam Gung So So left the family when he was young.

She had married a man of insignificant status, claiming to have found love.

But that man died of illness not long after, and aunt never returned to the family after that.

Nam Gung Hwa Su thought this was quite fortunate.

Nam Gung Lin was never going to be his competitor anyway, and he was the only one who could inherit the family.

‘Everything here is all mine.’

But now that aunt had returned. And with a son who was clearly outstanding. Nam Gung Hwa Su felt anxious.

He gritted his teeth and glared at them.

It was then.

Mo Yong Hee spoke to him in a worried tone. It was a small whisper, as if telling something very secretive.

“By the way, Hwa Su. It might be best not to go outside for a while.”

“Is something happening?”

“There are rumors that the Fierce-faced Asura is coming near Anhui Province.”